


𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏 [ Tetsurō Kuroo x Reader ]

by Cutesight



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Childhood Friends, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Ex Boyfriend, F/M, Fanfiction, First Love, Reader-Insert, Reunion, Sexual Roleplay, Slow Burn, love square
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:27:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 69,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29949972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cutesight/pseuds/Cutesight
Summary: "𝐼𝓉'𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒, 𝒽𝒶𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒾𝓉?"- - - -Kuroo and Y/N who used to be close childhood friends and lovers reunite at a high school reunion 10 years later at Nekoma High.How much has things changed for the two of them?Does Y/N forgive Kuroo for their falling out years later?- - - -I *do not* give anyone any permission to translate, create videos, or republish my work. I have all rights to my stories and would appreciate everyone to enjoy them on the platforms I post these stories on. These stories are free and I don't feel comfortable knowing others are making money off of them. (｡•́︿•̀｡)If you see my work anywhere else other than Wattpad and AO3, just know I did not give them any permission.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader
Comments: 13
Kudos: 48





	1. It's been awhile...

"Pudding head, are you even listening to me?" Kuroo speaks loudly over his hair dryer to his phone that sits on the sink counter, his fingers running through his damp hair. 

"How could I with the hair dryer?" Kozume murmurs in a low voice. Kuroo faintly hears the sound of a mouse click and a mechanical keyboard being used. Sighing under his breath, he turns off the hair dryer. 

His large hand grabs hold of his phone from the sink counter and he flicks the light off. Kuroo gives himself a once look over in the large mirror that hangs on the wall of his bedroom. A devilish smirk forms on his face when he looks at himself. He adjusts the tie around his collar and smooths out his dress pants. 

"I look pretty cool for being in my late 20's." 

"Is it that hard to admit that you're 28?" The clacking of the keyboard and mouse stops when Kozume raises the phone to his ear. Kuroo grimaces at the mention of his age. 

He turns his back from the mirror and exits out of his bedroom. The colors of orange, pink, and yellow pours into his living room. Living in a skyscraper building has the perks of a constant beautiful sight of the sunset. 

Typically, Kuroo would love to sit and watch the sun go down but today is an exception. 

"Yes it is hard to admit. I have a successful career but nothing else. Everyone around me are either married, having kids, or hooking up with someone. You're the only one who's managed to not change around me Kenma." Kuroo walks over to a side table by the front door. He reaches for his car keys and wallet from the glass tray. 

Kozume remains quiet on the other end. He only huffs out a sigh. "No ones rushing you Kuroo. No one but yourself. I'm content with my life." 

Kuroo snickers under his breath, nodding his head despite Kozume unable to see him. "I know. I'm my biggest enemy." Kuroo slips on his dress shoes before locking the door behind him. He walks towards the elevator. "Sucks you can't be there for the reunion."

"Mine's next year and I'm not going." Kozume speaks bluntly. The sound of the keyboard and mouse clicks back in action again. 

"Not even to see Yamamoto? He'd be hurt to not see you." 

"Ugh." Kozume grumbles. His keystrokes are slower. "I might go then. Anyway, you're about to head out right? Don't make a fool of yourself. I'm hanging up now, this raid needs my full attention." 

Kuroo doesn't get a chance to say bye when he hears the call drop. He shakes his head with a smile on his face. "That guy." 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Kuroo slowly pulls his car into a parking spot outside of Nekoma High. It's been years since he last set foot here. Memories flood him all at once before he's able to even step out of his driver seat.

Someone taps on the window of his car, catching his attention. To his surprise, it's a familiar face and not someone trying to kidnap him for his corvette. 

Kuroo grins when he turns the engine off and steps out of his car.

"Nice to see you Mr. Hotshot." Yaku smirks at Kuroo. Another voice rings out between the two, more like a whistle. Kai eyes the corvette Kuroo's arrived in. 

"Trying to show off Kuroo? Have you become an arrogant rich boy these past 10 years? I hope not." Kai grins when he makes eye contact with Kuroo. "It's good to see you two again. Neither of you have changed much. You're still short Yaku." Kuroo lightly teases the brown haired boy. 

Yaku is still the short tempered guy Kuroo remembers. He's quick to retort back to Kuroo's tease. "I'll have you know I'm 5'6" now. I'm not 5'5" anymore." He smiles with his arms crossed. 

Kuroo nods his head, chuckling at Yaku but not further commenting. "And to answer your question Kai, I have not let money change who I am. I'm still the cool and silly guy like I was in high school." 

Pleased to hear his response, Kai smiles. The three make their way towards the high school building. With plenty of things happening in their lives, there isn't a pause in their conversation. 

The reunion is held in the gymnasium which is a soft spot for the three. 

"Man, could you believe the hours we spent in this space alone?" Yaku looks around the gym fondly. Kai nods his head, a smile on his face. Kuroo points over to the bleachers. "Remember how we caught Lev trying to kiss a girl over there?" Yaku nods energetically, bursting into laughter. "We made such a fool out of him."

"The two of you cockblocked him." Kai shakes his head, stifling his own chuckle. 

"He was furious at the two of us when we did. He was so set that day on losing his virginity." Kuroo laughs wholeheartedly with Yaku joining him. Kai can only shake his head with a twitching smile on his face. 

The gymnasium slowly begins to fill up and the conversations are more lively. 

"Say..." Yaku speaks in a more quiet tone. "Have you kept contact with Y/N?" 

_Y/N._

That's a name he hadn't heard in a long time. 

Y/N was close to all the members in the volleyball team. It was natural since she was the granddaughter of Coach Nekomata. She spent most of her time helping her grandfather with whatever the team needed. But she didn't want the title of manager. 

Besides being the granddaughter of Coach Nekomata, the two were childhood friends and ex lovers. Everyone didn't bat an eye that the two of them would be high school sweethearts. Until Kuroo immaturely didn't want that commitment. His love for volleyball was more important and he chose his career over her. 

Things changed after their breakup. Neither of them kept in contact and neither probably had the courage to reach out after the rough breakup.

Kuroo's face scrunches together when he remembers their last conversation. The two were yelling at their throats and Y/N's face was stained in tears. She fought to the very end for him to only walk away from her. In his mindset back then, he thought Y/N selfishly wanted to hold him back. 

He blamed her for not being supportive of his decision and accused her of tying him down.

But he couldn't remember if she really did those things. It's been years since he thought about her and their relationship. 

"Kuroo?" Kai places a hand to Kuroo's shoulder, shaking him slightly. "You okay man?"

"Sorry, did I bring up some bad memories?" Yaku looks apologetic. 

Kuroo snaps out of it. He shakes his head, awkwardly chuckling. "No. It's nothing." His fingers run through his jet black messy hair. "Why did you mention Y/N though?" 

Yaku glances at Kai, unsure if he should say anything. Kai urges Yaku to say something and Kuroo grows anxious.

_What did these two know about Y/N that he didn't?_

"Coach Nekomata...no one told you about him?" Yaku speaks carefully.

Kuroo's heart drops at the mention of Coach Nekomata. The man was late into his years but his energetic personality makes others forget about that. With ten years gone, is it possible that...

"He passed away last week. Did you not get a card from Y/N with the funeral details?" Kai speaks softly after Yaku's clammed up. The color in Kuroo's face pales considerably. His eyes widen in shock and his breath leaves him. Judging Kuroo's expression, both Kai and Yaku look at one another with guilt. 

It was probably best if the two didn't bring it up on a special reunion like today.

"No...I wasn't aware of anything." Kuroo manages to find his voice after the initial shock. His brows furrow together and he's clenching his hand against the plastic red cup. He wonders if Kenma received a card from Y/N and thought it was best to not tell him. 

Coach Nekomata was like a grandfather to Kuroo. Hearing this news horrified him. 

There's a slight commotion at the front of the gym that distracts Kuroo and the others from their conversation. A much needed distraction, Kuroo thought. 

But he's only more distraught when he sees the person that's caused a slight commotion. 

_Y/N._

She bows slightly to the other students who greet her. A smile is on her face but her eyes are dull of any life. Her complexion is pale despite her makeup covering her face. From the frowns on the students faces, he can only assume they're giving their condolences to her. 

"That's a surprise. I didn't expect her to show up with everything going on." Yaku whispers to the two. 

"Should we go say hi? I'm sure she needs company." Kai looks over at the two. Kuroo purses his lips, frozen to his spot. 

"You guys go ahead first." Kuroo weakly replies. Not wanting to question him, both Kai and Yaku make their way over to Y/N who slowly walks over to the drinks table. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Y/N." A gentle voice calls out to you. You turn around to see two familiar faces. 

"Kai. Yaku." You look at the two with a small smile. A few stray pieces of hair fall over your face from your loosely tied bun. It's been an extremely long day at work at the fashion agency. On top of your visit to your parents to finalize the plans for your grandfathers funeral this coming week. 

You were tempted to avoid this reunion as a whole but Asahi insisted you to go while he finishes things up back at the agency.

"How are things?" Yaku tries to initiate a conversation. 

"Busy." You keep your answer short. Talking to others about your emotions right now isn't something you had the energy to do. "What about you two? It's been years since we all talked and then for me to drop the news on everyone about the funeral..." You catch yourself rambling. 

"Not everyone." A familiar sly voice speaks up in the middle of your conversation between Yaku and Kai. Your heart stops when you see Kuroo step in front of you. "Hey, it's been awhile hasn't it. Y/N."

You stare at the man before you breathlessly. 

The man who you considered him as your childhood friend and your lover but later on grew to forget about completely. 

_Why did you have to come today?_

If you hadn't, you would've avoided seeing the very person who's caused the biggest heartache of your life. 

The first heartache to your second one for your grandfather. 

"Tetsuro."

His name falls off your lips easily.


	2. Your best friend

Your eyes narrow on the mans face. He seems to falter slightly with the familiarity of his voice slipping past your lips.

"Y/N." Kuroo softly says your name and you feel a cold sensation send chills down to your toes. Your heart reacts to your name being called out and you hate it for doing so. Feeling your legs weaken the longer you're under his gaze, you turn around to avoid his lurking hazel eyes.

You try to regain your strayed emotions. You managed to pretend you're okay around others this past week but seeing his, **Kuroo's** , face right now is breaking this fake appearance.

Kuroo keeps his distance. He watches Y/N close her eyes, her jaw clenching together and her breath seething between her teeth. She's trying her best to look strong but he knows her well. Even with the ten year gap, he's the closest one to her besides her family members. He knows her every emotion well.

He timidly raises a hand to rest on her shoulder but he stops himself halfway.

_What right does he have to act so familiar with her?_

"Y/N!" A panicked loud voice rings out from the front entrance of the gym. A tall gentleman with brown shoulder length hair calls out to her. He leans over on his knees, catching his breath. Y/N flutters her eyes open to see the owner of the voice. "Asahi?" She raises an eyebrow, hurrying over to meet up with him at the entrance.

_Asahi_ _?_ _Y/N is on a_ _first name_ _basis_ _?_

Kuroo keeps his eyes trained at the gym entrance. The tall gentleman stands upright and it's much clearer to see their face.

_That person is indeed Asahi Azumane._

Kuroo hardly recognizes him without his hair up in a bun. It seems like Azumane has ditched the hair ties completely and he's grown his hair out.

"He looks like a model." Kai mutters to Yaku. The two whispering behind Kuroo.

"Was he always handsome? I just remember him being gloomy every time we'd poke fun of him." Yaku adds in.

Kuroo notices how close Y/N and Azumane appear. She rests her hands on Azumane's arms, looking him over to see if he's alright.

"Are they dating?" Yaku mutters more loudly than he intends to and it catches Kuroo's ears. Kuroo turns slightly to eye Yaku from the corner of his eye. This makes Yaku tense up and awkwardly darting his eyes elsewhere.

"What are you doing here Azumane?" You slowly pull your hand back to your side after noticing nothing is wrong with Azumane himself. The way he called your name gave you a fright. He reaches into his pocket and raises a phone out to you. The phone looked exactly like yours.

That's when you put two and two together. You reach inside your purse to find that you don't have your phone with you. You must've left it at your desk when you left the office for the night.

"I was going to leave a few notes on your desk for you to see tomorrow before I headed out and I noticed you left your phone behind. Luckily, you're still here." Azumane wears a lopsided smile. He exhales deeply and groans. "It's been awhile since I've done any running."

You thank Azumane for returning your phone to you. "Sorry for making you come out here to give me this."

"It's no trouble. I know you would do the same for me." Azumane lightheartedly chuckles. "Anyway, I should let you enjoy the rest of the reunion. I'll see you tomorrow Y/N."

Pursing your lips, you stop Azumane from turning around by grabbing his wrist.

Ten years without Kuroo lead you to Azumane. The two of you stumbled into each other in the same university and funnily enough attended the same classes. The universe also aligned for the two of you to be accepted at the same fashion agency.

**He became the light of your life.**

_A best friend._

Azumane softens his gaze on Y/N's face when he notices her distant eyes. "Is it not enjoyable here? Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have urged you to come here." He frowns at the sight of her melancholy expression.

He tries to change the topic by pointing at your hair. "Wait, did you come here looking like this? No one would believe you if you worked for a fashion agency Y/N. Come here." His large hand gently pulls you closer to him. His fingers delicately pull off the scrunchie that's barely holding your hair together.

"I'm an expert at hair buns." His low voice fills your ears from above you. He chuckles lightly and you feel his fingers run through your hair, combing through them.

This isn't the first time Azumane's fixed your hair for you. The first one is an embarrassing memory that the two of you can laugh at now.

You were drunk after drinking several shots with a business client and Azumane had to drive you home.

Being weak to alcohol lead you to throwing up on his shirt but he was too worried about you and rushed you into the bathroom. Your hands held onto the sides of the toilet while he tried to tie your hair up. It was a complete mess of a night.

"Ta-da." Azumane steps back to look at your properly tucked bun.

"Asahi." The sly voice from earlier joins the conversation between you and Azumane. Azumane turns to see Kuroo, Kai, and Yaku. His eyes beam when he sees their familiar faces.

"Oh wow! It's been awhile since I've seen you three." Azumane speaks freely but nervously. "Sorry for crashing your high school reunion." He awkwardly scratches the back of his head.

Yaku shakes his head. "No, don't apologize. It's nice to see other faces again. You've grown more handsome. Did you gain confidence and become a model or something?"

Kai nudges Yaku in the side for his blunt question. A pink tinge forms on Azumane's cheeks and he shakes his head. "No, I'm not a model or anything. I just work at a fashion agency with Y/N. We both design apparel."

You tug on Azumane's wrist. Not wanting him to say anymore with Kuroo around.

"Apparel?" Kuroo smiles at the thought. His hazel eyes fall onto you. "Makes sense. You always loved to go shopping and you dressed well every time."

You only stare at Kuroo in response.

Azumane notices Y/N's cold behavior towards him and he finds himself in a sticky situation.

"A-Anyway, I should get going. I have a few designs to look over before discussing it with a client in the morning. Actually, I need your input on them Y/N. Do you have the time right now?" Azumane darts his eyes to the side quickly, hinting you that this is your time to escape.

"Sure." You remain calm when answering him. Casting your eyes back over to Yaku and Kai, you say your goodbyes to them. "If you could make it to the funeral, I'd be grateful. Sorry for cutting the reunion short."

Yaku and Kai nod their heads, sympathetic to your situation. You briefly look over at Kuroo. He seems a bit dejected from your cold behavior but he doesn't speak out on it. Seeing his downcast expression reminds you of the past.

That very expression would let him have whatever he wants. Azumane nudges you slightly, realizing how cold you've been to Kuroo. He was there when you mailed off the letters to everyone. So he knows you purposely kept Kuroo in the dark about your grandfather's passing.

Giving into Azumane, you reach into your purse and pull out the letter you never sent to Kuroo. Biting your bottom lip, you hold back the sigh that wants to slip past your lips.

Your grandfather meant just as much to you as he did for Kuroo. You know that full well. No matter how badly the two of you fell out, that has nothing to do with his relationship with your grandfather.

Quietly, you extend the letter with Kuroo's name written on it.

Kuroo raises his eyes to look at you and then the letter. You press the letter to his chest, urging him to take it. Without another word Kuroo takes the letter from you and you quickly pull your hand to your side. Not meeting his eyes, you pull Azumane along. "Let's go Asahi. We can't pull an all nighter again."

"W-Wait, can you slow down Y/N? I don't want to run again and you're in heels."

"How could you let me outrun you, long legs?" You look over to Azumane, slipping your heels off of your feet and practically dashing off.

"Y/N! You shouldn't run in a dress either! What if you trip and fall?!" Despite complaining about running, Azumane chases after Y/N in distress.

Yaku and Kai laugh at their banter. Kuroo is left feeling empty when he watches Y/N act friendly with someone else. He also decides to leave, softly muttering a goodbye to the other two.


	3. Unexplainable

Azumane adjusts the glasses on his nose, peering away from his laptop to check on Y/N. She's been quiet since they've arrived at his studio apartment. Her head rests on her folded arms on the table. A frown etching deep on her face.

Quietly exhaling under his breath, Azumane closes his laptop and pushes it to the side. Y/N seems to hear his shuffling in front of her.

Raising your head up, you look across the table at Azumane.

"Are you done already?" You reach for his laptop to look over his designs but he stops you. His large hand gently holds onto your wrist, setting it back down on the table.

"We have to talk." Azumane speaks softly. He gets up from his seat to grab something for you two to drink.

Pursing your lips, you sit up straight and watch the tall man walk away. You take your scrunchie out of your bun, letting your hair fall. With a sigh, you run your fingers through your hair. "Do we have to?"

Azumane beckons you to come sit on the sofa with two bottles of green tea in his hands. Not seeing that you have a choice, you slide out of the chair you're sitting in and slowly make your way over to him. Once he sees you settled in your spot, he extends the cool green tea bottle in your hand. You appreciate the cold sensation against your hot skin. Twisting the cap, you sip a bit of the tea.

"So...about Kuroo." Azumane shifts in his spot. He takes off his glasses and sets it down on the coffee table in front of you two. He turns to look at you with gentle eyes. "I know you don't like him very much."

"I don't like him at all." You correct Azumane.

"Okay, at all." Azumane chuckles lightly. "But, I hate seeing you act so coldly to someone. He is your childhood friend and I think he's the very person you need right now. He's probably the only person you can talk to your grandfather about."

You grimace at the thought. Your brows furrow together in annoyance.

Azumane carefully places a hand to your head. The knit brows on your face relaxes when you look over at the goatee long haired man who's trying his best to comfort you. "I don't want you to pent up your emotions about your grandfather. Share your memories of him with someone who's also been there. This is one thing your best friend can't do for you. Sorry, Y/N." He wears an apologetic smile.

You sigh in defeat. Knowing Azumane is right.

_But._

You didn't know how to feel about Kuroo. It's been ten long years since you last spoke and saw one another. Your last conversation was full of shouting and tears. And **he** was the one that walked away from it all.

_Why should you allow him to come back so easily?_

Of course you wanted to put a front when you saw him. Kuroo shouldn't get everything he wants so easily. Even though it seems like he's pretty well off from what you saw him wear.

"Y/N? What are you thinking now? Your face is casting a dark gloom." Azumane raises an eyebrow when he looks at you.

"I don't want him to enter my life as easily as he left it." You speak childishly.

You're 28. You shouldn't act like a teenager when it came to situations like this. You're an adult that should take these kinds of situations more maturely.

Azumane relaxes his shoulders and slowly exhales under his breath. "Maybe he's changed, you know? Ten years is a long time for a boy to turn into a man."

_Kuroo, changing?_

You scoff at the idea. But your sour mood is erased when Azumane pinches your cheek. Your attention back on him.

"I saw the way he looked at you Y/N. He's hurting. Especially more so that you tried to keep him in the dark about your grandfather."

"Good. I was hurt for years."

"Y/N." Azumane speaks more sternly, his fingers releasing their pinching. "As adorable as I find this side of you, I don't want you to regret this encounter with Kuroo again. You don't hate him completely, right?"

You flinch when you hear Azumane's words. Your heart did ache when you heard your name slip from his lips. It felt like at that very moment you would fall apart and cry. You didn't even cry from the news of your grandfathers passing. Your parents worried that your heart had frozen over.

But the truth is, you swore to not cry in front of others after your break up with Kuroo. Showing others your tears just felt like a vulnerability in front of others. Even if they are your parents. You still haven't fully processed your grandfathers passing so there were no tears to fall from you. Maybe everything will hit you in two days at the funeral home.

"No...I guess not." You answer Azumane after being clouded in your thoughts. A relieved smile forms on Azumane's face and the conversation falls from there. Azumane glances over at his watch and realizes how late it's gotten.

"Did you want to spend the night here and leave early in the morning?" Azumane steadies himself up from the sofa. "I'll take the sofa and you can have the bed."

"I'll take the sofa." You look up at Azumane, not moving from your spot. He narrows his eyes on you, crossing his arms. "No you won't."

"Yes I will. This is your home. We've talked about this before Asahi." You mimic his narrowed eyes, a thin line to your lips.

"And how does it always turn out?" Azumane tilts his head with a smirk. You clench your teeth, quickly grabbing the arm of the sofa. But Azumane easily scoops you up into his arms. You groan in response, not finding the energy to fight him. With everything being in one room besides the bathroom, Azumane doesn't travel far to sit you on the bed.

"Alright, let's get some rest. We have some important clients in the morning and you have to drop by your parents house after, right?"

Without answering verbally, you nod your head. You set an alarm to wake up an hour before Azumane so you could drive home and change. While you set your alarm, Azumane walks over to his dresser to pull out one of his shirts. He drapes it over your head and tells you to change out of your dress before you head to bed.

A yawn escapes from Azumane and he doesn't bother changing out of his own clothes. He strides over to the sofa and plops himself down. You turn off all the lights as you make your way over to the bathroom to change.

Clicking the bathroom door closed, you stare at your reflection in the mirror. You could be a ghost from how colorless your face looks. Not a sign of a sparkle in your eyes can be found anywhere.

Seems like your strength has reached its max when you watch yourself frown and the tears trickle down your cheeks like a waterfall.

You missed you grandfather considerably. You regret not being there for him for his last breath. You were out of the country with Azumane on a business trip. There's so many regrets and 'I wish' in your mind.

Your grandfather would never be able to see you happily in a relationship. Possibly marriage. Or even at the peak of your career. Or having a family of your own.

Forcing your eyes closed, you softly whimper at the thought.

"Grandfather..." You cry out in the empty bathroom, slowly crouching down to your knees. You don't cry for long when you force yourself to stop your tears to change into Azumane's shirt.

**Crying wouldn't bring your grandfather back.**

Wiping the last few tears away, you unlock the door and startle when you see Azumane there, pacing the small hallway. He's relieved when he sees your face.

"I..." He wasn't sure if he should mention how he's heard Y/N crying. If he did that, she'll probably cry again or she'll feel more shitty than she wants. Instead, he silently pulls Y/N into an embrace. A smile tugs on his lips when he feel her arms wrap around his waist. She holds onto his tall frame tightly without uttering a word.

Azumane slowly rubs her back in circular motions. He was worried over Y/N's stone faced reaction over everything happening to her.

"Let's get you to bed." Azumane softly whispers by her ear. He feels her head nod against his chest.

To others, their close friendship may be questioned.

_How is it possible for them to not like each other?_

Sometimes, it's best for two opposite sex's to just remain as friends. Love added to the mix might ruin things.

This thought did cross their minds. More than once.

From accidental drunk kisses to sober accidental kisses. The two didn't feel a waver in their hearts for one another.

Azumane pulls away from the embrace and gently takes hold of Y/N's hand. He guides her through the dark apartment towards his bed. She sits on the edge of the bed with a distant look, her hand tightly holding onto Azumane's large one.

She voicelessly tells him she doesn't want to be alone and he understood that. Crouching in front of her, Azumane gives her a firm squeeze to her hand. The moonlight shines on his face while it casts a shadow on Y/N.

With his free hand, he reaches to stroke her cheek with his thumb. Y/N's shoulders slightly loosen up from his gentle touch. Her small hand pulls away from his clasp ones and she reaches with both hands to the one he's holding her face with.

She lowers that hand to her lap, her lips twitching.

"Asahi." She speaks so softly that Azumane barely heard her.

"Yeah?"

"Could..." You purse your lips. Unsure if what you're asking is something rational. You just wanted to feel the warmth of another person. But this would just make your friendship more unexplainable.

Azumane somehow understands your silence. Or maybe he also wants this. You watch him stand up and make his way over to the other side of the bed. You feel a weight press on the other side and he pats the empty space next to him.

A small smile forms on your face and you're thankful Azumane could read your thoughts without you having to verbally say them aloud. Lifting the blanket up, you make yourself comfortable next to Azumane. His fingers run through your hair and you whisper a thank you.

Azumane nods his head. "I hope whoever you date in the future would be able to baby you like this." He lightly teases you with a low chuckle. You roll your eyes playfully but you pause for a moment. "Why don't we date Asahi? Am I not your type?" You speak carefully, looking him in the eyes. Azumane stiffens and he awkwardly laughs.

"We've had this conversation before Y/N...We've even tried to kiss to see if we both felt anything. Which I must say, is pretty weird if we told someone about that." Azumane derails from the conversation a bit. His ears start to turn red and his voice grows nervous.

"Could we try again? Just to be sure?" You hesitantly ask. Azumane gulps, eyes wavering. "Let's just try to sleep Y/N. I think you're not thinking straight right now with the lack of sleep and constant stress."

Nibbling your bottom lip, you nod your head.

_He's probably right. Why would you ask such a request from your best friend like that._

You didn't want to put him in more of an awkward situation. Especially if it's Azumane.

His heart is made of glass.

But to your surprise, Azumane goes back on his word. Something he does rarely.

"How could I reject you if you make those kinds of eyes..." Azumane grumbles to himself. He bites his inner cheek, giving into Y/N's sporadic request. The hand that strokes her hair lowers down to cup her face.

You flutter your lashes, taken aback to see Azumane nervously move his face close to yours. "W-Wait, Asahi. We don't have to do this. I'll just go to bed."

A determined look forms on Azumane's face when he shakes his head. "I want to confirm my emotions too Y/N." The deep tone of his voice sends goosebumps down your arm. Your eyes slowly close when you feel Azumane's lips on yours.

He kisses you hesitantly and his lips linger a bit. You nervously return his kiss and you feel his breath sharpen. Azumane then slowly pulls away with quivering lips. The two of you avoid each others gazes.

"Did you feel anything?" You're the one to speak up first.

_He did. Asahi for the first time felt a waver to his heart and he wonders why._

This isn't their first shared kiss. And this time, there definitely was a reaction.

"No..." He lied.


	4. Commitment

𝒯𝓌𝑜 𝒹𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓁𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇

"Thanks for coming with me Kenma." Kuroo grips tightly on the steering wheel. Kozume quietly looks out of the window, a blank expression on his face. Of all days, it rains just today out of the week.

"He was my coach too. It would be rude of me not to show up." Kozume quietly speaks up. His eyes cast up towards the grey skies.

Kuroo nods his head, faintly laughing. He was more stressed about seeing Y/N and her family. He's unsure what they've been told after their falling out.

"Are you going to behave yourself?" Kozume speaks up again, his attention now towards Kuroo who's stiff as a board in the driver seat. He slows his car down at a red light. Jaw clenching and lips tight.

"I'm a bit nervous."

"For the funeral or...?" Kozume doesn't utter Y/N's name. After the call he received from Kuroo the night of the reunion, he's wary to say her name aloud. Kuroo never fully explained what happen to the two to Kozume. But Kozume never bothered to pull the details out of him.

His best friend was hurt and he didn't want to further cause him pain by forcing him to speak up on something he didn't want to.

"Y/N." Kuroo says her name weakly with a slight frown. His eyes seem a bit glossy when he thinks about her. "I've put her out of my mind for years and to see her again...everything felt like it was in slow motion. Adding the news of her grandfather passing away, I can't help but hate myself for walking out on her."

Kozume silently listens. His curiosity about their relationship resurfacing.

"Is it safe to ask what happened between you two? Since it's been years?" Kozume speaks carefully. Kuroo presses on the gas pedal again, his speed slow as he's careful of the rain that drizzles on the car.

Kuroo's chest tightens when he tries to recall their relationship. But there's missing pieces to the memories. Those pieces being the most important. He had banished them out of his thoughts and if he didn't force himself to forget, his anger had made him forget about them.

Gripping on the steering wheel and exhaling deeply. Kuroo parts his lips to speak up. "To be honest, I just remember her crying a lot and the two of us shouting words on the last day of our third year. We were going to separate universities after graduation...and."

Kuroo wracks his brain. The reason lied somewhere there in that sentence. The two were going to different universities for their different majors.

"Don't strain yourself to remember Kuroo. It'll come back to you." Kozume notices the scrunched expression Kuroo makes. He looks irritated and troubled all at once.

"Y-Yeah...maybe." Kuroo mutters under his breath.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Do you need anything to drink? I can go get it for you." Azumane kindly keeps you company at the front of the funeral home. The slight wind and drizzle of the rain really sets the reminder that today is one of the most heartbreaking days of your life.

Shaking your head, you form a small smile. "I'm alright. Thanks Asahi." Azumane furrows his brows together, not completely accepting your answer but he doesn't press further.

"Make sure to come inside." He gently squeezes your shoulder before going back in. The door softly closes after Azumane slips inside. Several members of the volleyball team, family, and friends, have arrived and are paying their respects inside.

You've glued yourself outside the entire morning. You don't have the courage to see your grandfather right now.

Inhaling deeply, you smell the rainy air with closed eyes. The soft pitter patter of the rain hitting against the roof of the funeral home eases your nerves slightly. But the bitter feeling of the wind on your skin reminds you of how lonely you feel right now.

"Ah, hello Y/N." A low voice speaks up to you. You slowly open your eyes to see a familiar pair of cat-like golden eyes under a black umbrella. Kozume closes his umbrella and sets it to the side with the other umbrellas. Kuroo steps up next to Kozume a few seconds later.

You meet Kuroo's eyes briefly before bowing to the two.

"Thank you...for coming." You force a small smile. "Everyone else is inside if you want to see them."

Kozume nods his head, he looks over at Kuroo before walking in. You half-expected Kuroo to follow after Kozume but he idles in front of you. You cast your eyes to the side, feeling his hazel eyes on your face. "Do you need something?" You speak curtly.

Y/N's cold tone sends goosebumps down Kuroo's arms. He clenches his teeth, trying to form the right words to say. But his words fail him and he's left standing there. Watching Y/N pretend to be strong.

He notices the goosebumps on her arms and the lack of proper warmth covering her frame. Quietly, Kuroo takes his tuxedo jacket off but Y/N raises a hand to stop him.

"You should go in. Your parents are in there with mine."

Kuroo lowers his eyes to the jacket in his hand. He unwillingly puts it back on and nods his head. "Are you going in too?" After being silent, Kuroo speaks up towards her. She doesn't react to his words and he's left feeling helpless in his situation. Even now, he's only causing her trouble.

The sound of the door opens, catching Kuroo's attention.

"Y/N, your parents are about to give a little speech. Do you want to come in now?" Azumane calls out to Y/N. His eyes glance over to Kuroo and he forms a gentle smile. "Oh, Kuroo. You should come in too." Seeing as though Y/N is glued to her spot, Azumane leaves from the door to walk over to her.

"Let's go, okay?" He whispers softly to her, easily lacing his fingers with hers. Kuroo watches the two walk past him. His eyes narrowing in on their intertwined hands.

_Are they really dating like Yaku predicted?_

Kozume emerges when the two slip past him. "Kuroo." The soft voice of Kozume pulls Kuroo inside. There's too many questions swirling in Kuroo's mind and no answers given. Kozume leads Kuroo to his parents who stand off to one side of the room.

The amount of people in here is more than Kuroo expects. He should not be surprised by how many people Coach Nekomata's been special to. The man was incredibly energetic and kind. A grandfather to many and a loyal father and friend to others.

Kuroo's too distracted in his own thoughts to hear the speech Y/N's parents give. But he can predict the gist of it from the watery eyes and sobs in the room. A large photo of Coach Nekomata stands in the center of the room with an urn of his ashes right in front of it. Beautiful flowers surround the two items.

"Tetsuro." Kuroo's mom wraps her arms around his tall frame for an embrace. "He was a grandfather to you too, wasn't he?" Her soft shaky voice seeps directly into his heart. He's been too focused with the current events around him that he's forgotten the real reason he's here.

Coach Nekomata, better known as Yasufumi Nekomata.

_He's gone._

The shock stabs Kuroo and now he's like the others in the room. A deep frown on his face and a shadow casting over his eyes. He slowly raises his arms around his mother, hugging her tightly. His father squeezes a hand on both him and his mother's shoulders.

Kozume hangs his head low, sadness eating at him.

One by one, everyone walks up to his photo to bow and whisper whatever they want to say to him. The room begins to empty after an hour or so. The only ones who stay back are close family members and friends who idle outside to talk to one another, not wanting to interrupt anyone who's still mourning inside.

After standing frozen in his spot for an hour, Kuroo finds the strength to walk over to Nekomata. Kozume himself didn't have the strength to go up there. "I'll be in the car Kuroo."

Kuroo nods his head, handing Kozume the key to his car.

"I'll be out there shortly."

"No, take your time." Kozume cuts Kuroo off before leaving the room.

Kuroo finds himself alone in the room with Nekomata. He kneels down before him, head hanging low. There's so many things he wants to say but to find his voice, is the difficult part. The sound of the door opening softly grabs Kuroo's attention and his eyes focus on the person.

Y/N freezes in her spot when she realizes that Kuroo is still in here. She lowers her eyes down to the ground. "Sorry, I thought everyone left. I'll go."

"Wait!" Kuroo speaks louder than he anticipates in the quiet still space. "You...you haven't had the chance to say anything to him yet, right?" He scoots over despite there being plenty of floor space for the two of them to kneel on.

Clenching your teeth, you fight the urge to turn back around. Azumane's voice faintly rings in your ears. His advice about you sharing your memories of your grandfather with Kuroo.

Putting aside your indifferences, you find yourself kneeling next to Kuroo.

Your wavering eyes nervously look at your grandfathers smiling portrait. But you tear your eyes away quickly.

"It's surreal, right? I swear it doesn't feel like Nekomata is gone." Kuroo speaks up into the silent room. "I feel like he'll open that door and laugh at us saying this whole thing was a prank for us to meet again." Kuroo stifles a dry chuckle. Y/N doesn't join in the laughter. He looks at her from the corner of his eyes.

Tears drip down your face when you recall your grandfathers laughter. It was full of warmth and gusto. The tears splatter onto your hands that clench your dress tightly. You wouldn't be able to hear that laughter anymore and one day you'll forget how it sounds.

The thought terrified you.

Your lips tremble and you try to hold back your loud sobs. A hand rests on the small of your back, reminding you that you aren't alone. You turn to look at Kuroo who wears a frown. His eyes glossed over and tears falling against his cheeks.

"It's okay Y/N. Let it out." His gentle voice is your biggest weakness. You feel your heart ache again at his beck and call. No matter how much you try to hate Kuroo or how you try to ignore and brush him off...your emotions speak louder. But you didn't want to give in. You're way too stubborn.

You weakly push his hand away from your back but Kuroo only fights back.

"Let's not do this in front of your grandfather Y/N. He'd be upset that we're acting like children." Kuroo envelopes you in a tight embrace but you try to push off of him. "He'll put us in time out no matter how old we are."

You feel Kuroo's strong arms tremble. He chokes back on his tears. You aren't the only one pretending to be strong. Your hands that press against Kuroo, fall to your side. Kuroo closes the small distance by hugging you closer.

Your face buries into his chest and the woody spice smell of cologne engulfs you. You feel one hand stroke the back of your head. His voice rumbles in your ear when he speaks of old memories. "Remember when the two of us thought it was a good idea to camp outside one summer? We made makeshift tent out of a bedsheet and brought out pillows and blankets for the night. We thought we prepared everything but food slipped past our minds. Your stomach growled so loudly in the middle of the night." Kuroo lightheartedly laughs at the memory.

"Nekomata came to the rescue later that night with sandwiches and juice boxes. He even brought out a proper tent that he bought earlier that afternoon. We wondered where it came from and he lied saying it was hidden deep inside his closet. In actuality, he went out to buy one while we prepared. We were saved that night and avoided the bloody thirsty mosquitoes of the summer."

You calm down after listening to Kuroo. That memory was one of your favorites. The two of you planned out so many adventures that summer. Camping being one of them. Despite your silence, Kuroo continues to recall old memories. He stops short after he realizes he's talked for too long.

You take the moment to slowly pull yourself away from Kuroo. He doesn't hold you back when he feels you doing so. The two of you look at one another with tear stained faces and frowns.

The two of you probably could go on for hours talking about your memories with your grandfather. But reality slowly settles in and you both know they will be the only memories you have left of him.

"Sorry for not telling you about the funeral." You softly whisper to Kuroo. He shakes his head and slowly exhales. His large hand wiping his tears away. "I get why you did it. I wouldn't have invited me either if I were in your shoes."

What Kuroo says surprises you.

He looks directly into your eyes, a gentle expression. "I only wish we would've met on better circumstances. I also wish I made a better effort in the past to reach out to you."

You break eye contact. Your eyes casting to the side. "The past is the past. We just have to learn from it." Getting up on your feet, you thank Kuroo for coming today. Before you could turn around to leave, he grabs onto your wrist.

"Wait Y/N, please." Kuroo's voice is strained. "I don't want this to be the last time we see each other. Let's catch up. There's so much that's changed between us these last ten years."

Nibbling your bottom lip, you gently pull your wrist back to your side. "How would I know you won't walk out again Tetsurō? I'm still upset at you for leaving me years ago."

You hear Kuroo shuffle to his feet. He easily towers over you. "I've changed Y/N. Let me prove that to you."

"And if you did change...what do you want out of this Tetsurō?" You turn around to look up at him directly. Your lips quiver and the corner of your eyes sting. "Do you think we'd just go back to how close we always were? As friends? As lovers? Because if I remember clearly, you said you wanted to see other people. That you didn't want to commit in a serious relationship. That we were too young for the thought of being together forever."

Kuroo's eyes widen when he hears Y/N's outpour.

**Those are the reasons why they broke up.**

Not only was it about their different careers and universities, he apparently was too afraid for a serious relationship. His immaturity and fear lead him to run away.

"What is it Tetsurō? Please tell me." Y/N's face reddens and her nostrils flare out when she's drowning in her own tears. Kuroo's frozen into silence and that answer alone hurts Y/N. She turns her heel to walk out of the funeral home.

Kuroo's legs give out from under him and he falls onto the floor. He runs both hands through his hair, grasping them. The one thing he wants now in life is the very thing that his younger self ran away from.

_A serious relationship with someone he loves._


	5. Operation: Kuroo

"Y/N?" Azumane notices your tear stained face emerging out of the funeral home. He excuses himself from your parents to hurry over to your side. 

_He's never seen Y/N look this upset-- **ever**. _

She's one to hide her tears from everyone but today seems to be the day where she drops her guard. Her small frame buries into his chest. She weakly wraps her arms around Azumane's waist and cries. "I want to get out of here." Her shaky pleas causes Azumane's heart to ache. 

The door to the funeral home opens again and Kuroo emerges. He makes eye contact with Azumane. The two stare at one another in silence. Unsure what happened, Azumane holds Y/N closer. "Okay, let's go."

Y/N slowly pulls herself off of Azumane and wipes her tears. 

You notice your tears and lipstick staining Azumane's dress shirt. Your brows furrow together when you point it out to him. "I ruined another shirt of yours." Azumane lowers his eyes to see the red lipstick against his clean white shirt. He softly chuckles and strokes your hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear. 

"It's alright. Let's go say bye to your parents before we leave." Azumane offers a hand to you, which you gingerly take. Kuroo purses his lips when he watches their exchange. He slowly walks over to his parents that are besides Y/N's parents. 

An awkward glance of exchange is met from Y/N. She doesn't keep her eyes on Kuroo for long. 

"Thank you for coming Mr. and Mrs. Kuroo." You whisper. They nod their heads. 

"Come visit us sometime if you're not too busy. We miss seeing you." Kuroo's mother beams at you. You feel a bit guilty from her smile and nod in response. Kuroo's dad nudges Kuroo to say his farewell to you. But only slight nods between the two of you are exchanged. 

You kiss your mother and father goodbye on the cheek before leaving with Azumane. "Take care Mr. and Mrs. Y/L/N." Azumane bows to them and also to Kuroo's parents. 

"Take care of Y/N for me Asahi. Sorry if she's a handful at work." Your mother calls out to the two of you who walk down the path towards the parking lot. Azumane nods and smiles before turning around to look at you. Your distant eyes and forlorn expression causes him to worry.

"Is there anywhere you want to go Y/N?" Azumane asks you in a soft whisper. 

"Anywhere but here." You murmur your words. 

Azumane slowly nods his head, nibbling his bottom lip. The rain seems to have parted so a spontaneous car ride wouldn't be a horrible idea.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Did you not make up with her Tetsurō?" Y/N's mother speaks to Kuroo in a familiar way. Kuroo widens his eyes slightly when he's being talked to. He snaps his eyes away from Azumane's car.

"I think it's fate for you two to meet again." Y/N's father wears a smile. These two are thinking about others despite losing their father and father-in-law. 

"Isn't..." Kuroo clams up. He hates the question he's about to ask. "Is Asahi not her boyfriend?" 

Y/N's parents look at one another with a smirk, shaking their heads. "They're best friends. Nothing more than that. Co-workers too if you want to be even more specific." 

Kuroo feels a pat on his back from his father. "You were in the wrong before, son. Maybe this is your second chance to fix things. Just don't corner her and don't be upset if she brushes you off and pushes you away." 

"Aren't we jumping to conclusions guys? What if Tetsurō doesn't feel the same way for Y/N anymore? Or maybe Asahi has feelings for Y/N? I can't be the only one who sees the way Asahi looks at Y/N. Y/N's more than a best friend to him." Kuroo's mother tries to be more realistic about the situation. But it only dampens the other's moods. The four adults bicker about the conversation and Kuroo slips away from them. 

_What are his feelings towards Y/N?_

He walks away from the funeral home and towards his car. Forgetting that Kozume has been sitting inside for who knows how long.

"Welcome back." Kozume mutters with his phone in his hand. His fingers tap and slide against the phone screen with a video game reflecting in his eyes. 

"Sorry for the long wait." Kuroo replies when he steps inside the driver seat. He closes the car door and exhales loudly. His fingers ruffling through his hair. 

"What's up?" Kozume pauses his game to look over at his troubled friend. Kuroo leans over the steering wheel. His eyes watch the grey clouds part and a blue sky is revealed behind them. 

"How should I get Y/N to notice me? I want her to know I've changed. But she's so fixated on my past." Kuroo grumbles to himself but Kozume hears every word. "Plus, Asahi seems to be around her all the time. How could I get her to see me if he's glued to her side."

"Are you saying you like Y/N still?" Kozume murmurs. 

"W-What?!" Kuroo snaps out of his thoughts to look at Kozume. "NO!"

Kozume narrows his eyes on Kuroo, a perplexed look on his face. "Alright. So it's okay if Asahi is around her, right? And you're okay if she doesn't look your way?" Kuroo looks disgruntled by Kozume's questions. A pout to his lips. "No. I wouldn't be okay." 

"Then...Operation: Get Kuroo back with Y/N should commence." Kozume speaks nonchalantly but those words all together in one sentence makes Kuroo flustered. He loudly raises his voice in embarrassment. "What kind of name is that?! Is my love life a game to you Kenma?!" 

Kozume lets out a short chuckle. The sound stops Kuroo from yelling. "What's so funny?" Kuroo mutters under his breath. He turns on the car and buckles his seatbelt. 

"It's nice to see you flustered like this every once in a while. You've been so serious ever since you started working at the Japan Volleyball Associations on top of the stock markets and--.

"Alright. I get it." Kuroo chuckles dryly. Kozume forms a small smile when he sees Kuroo laughing. "But...where should I even start?" 

"Do you have her number?" Kozume taps out of his video game to pull up a web browser.

"No. I didn't get the chance to ask her after she--" Kuroo's words trail off and Kozume looks up from his phone. He wears a curious gaze. "I figured out the other reasons why we argued." Kuroo's lips close shut before he weakly opens them. "I apparently wanted to see other people and ran away from the fear of commitment." 

Kozume scoffs at the reasoning. "You didn't even hook up with anyone after high school."

Kuroo clenches his teeth, grumbling under his breath. "Shut up. I was more focused on my career." 

"And now you want the very thing you ran away from. It's odd how the world works." Kozume mutters, flicking his thumb across his phone. "Anyway, you said Y/N works at a fashion agency, right?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Kuroo comes to a red light. He looks over to Kozume who's busily typing something in the search engine. His eyes shine for a moment when he successfully finds one clue about Y/N's job. 

"Huh. It seems like her and Asahi are gaining traffic with their apparel designs. There's a few photoshoots of their work on a well known model." Kozume flicks through the images the model posted on her personal social media account. With a few taps through tags, Kozume manages to find the agencies name along with Y/N and Azumane's social media accounts. 

Kozume curiously looks through their profiles. Anyone would be fooled by Azumane's profile. He looks like a model. You'd never think twice that the clothes he's wearing is made by himself. 

"Oh." Kozume's curt word raises Kuroo's attention. His eyes focused on the road. "What is it? Did you find something interesting?" 

Kozume stumbles on a photo on Y/N's profile. He's unsure if he should show Kuroo or not. "Did you ever find out if the two are dating?" 

"Her parents said they're not. Why?" Kuroo grows anxious. He's tempted to pull over to see what Kozume is looking at. Luckily there's another red light.

"There's a photo of Asahi kissing her forehead. She looks really happy here." 

The caption below the photo is a celebration of her 25th birthday. It seems like the two have grown close and friendly enough for not only hand holding but also forehead kisses? 

' Woke up to a birthday surprise from Asahi. He made a cake and designed this dress I'm wearing. I can't ask for a better best friend. 🤍🥰'

Kuroo looks away from the photo, feeling a bit annoyed. 

"Is there something Asahi can't do?" Kuroo squeezes the steering wheel, clicking his tongue. 

"Fill the hole in Y/N's heart. The hole you created Kuroo." Kozume speaks seriously. He lowers his phone to stare at the irritated messy black haired friend of his. "I'll send you the agencies name and her social media to your phone. Maybe you could reach out to her on there. Unless she's managed to find you first and block you."

Kuroo groans under his breath. "Thanks for the encouragement Kenma." 

Kozume forms a playful smile. "You're welcome."


	6. A proposal

Azumane drives the two of you out of the busy pace of Tokyo to the outskirts with a view of the city in the horizon. The still air and silence away from the busy noises of the city eases your flurried emotions. 

The two of you step out of Azumane's car. You meet in the middle, sitting on the hood of his sedan car. The gentle breeze of the wind blows through your hair, making it flutter behind your shoulder. You inhale deeply with closed eyes. 

Azumane looks over at Y/N with a small smile when he sees her slowly relax. Her shoulders loosening up and no longer full of tension. 

The crisp air fills your lungs and you slowly begin to feel much better. Slowly, you open your eyes and turn to look over at Azumane. 

"Feel better?" He speaks in a soft tone, his large hand meeting the top of your head to stroke your hair effortlessly. Gazing at Azumane in silence, you feel thankful for his presence. If he was never by your side, you'd probably lock yourself up in your apartment for days. 

You slowly reach to grab his hand that strokes your hair. "Yeah. Thank you, Asahi." Your hand gives his large one a firm squeeze. Azumane nods his head, lowering his outstretched hand down to his side. He buries his hands into his dress pants pockets. The two of you turn your attention forward to see the scenery before you. 

A comfortable silence is shared. But you break it shortly after. 

"Asahi?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you think ten years is enough time for someone to change completely?"

Azumane turns to look at Y/N's casted expression, her eyes are so lonely.

"Are we talking about Kuroo?" Azumane scoots a bit closer to Y/N. The sudden mention of Kuroo bothered him now. But he couldn't make this situation about his own feelings, not yet. "Appearance wise, it's easy for someone to change. But the way they speak and carry themselves can slowly change." Azumane releases a sigh under his breath, he rolls his shoulders and stares up at the cloudy sky.

"Take me for example. I'm not super sensitive as I was back then. Not **_every_** single comment thrown my way makes me depressed." 

You turn to look at Azumane, a small smile growing on your face. "The competitive scene of the fashion industry has made you stronger." 

Azumane softly chuckles. His slender fingers run through his luscious locks. You watch him downcast his eyes, causing his hair to cover his face from you. With a more serious and low tone, Azumane speaks again. "We've all changed Y/N. No matter how small or big, we've changed. Despite the circumstances of how the two of you reunited, you should give him a second chance. Of course only if you want to. Don't do so because I said so. You're your own person Y/N." 

Nibbling your bottom lip, you turn your gaze down to your lap. You recall the moment you shared with Kuroo alone in the funeral home. His frown and the tears that stained his face. He didn't hide that fragile part of himself from you. 

The way his shoulders trembled when he held you tightly; to the way he tried to comfort you while he was falling apart too. 

He's still the dependable guy-- man, you remembered him to be. 

Clenching your teeth, you drag out an exhale. Your eyes now stare up at the sky. 

**Holding onto grudges won't do you any good.**

"Alright. I'll give him another chance...but." You grow fearful at the thought of him walking out of your life again. The pain of another heartache after vulnerably letting him back in. Seemingly knowing that you're backtracking on your words, Azumane envelopes you in an embrace. 

He rubs your back in circular motions. "I'll be right by your side whenever you need it Y/N. If you feel a moment of weakness, I'll be right there. No matter the time or the location."

You let out a lighthearted snicker, raising your arms to return his hug. "What are you? Superman?" 

"I've been called Jesus once, actually." Azumane playfully jokes in return. His chuckle sends ripples through your small frame and you feel safe in his arms. Your hesitation earlier dissipates. "Speaking of changes..." Azumane's voice cracks and you pull away to look at him. He sounds nervous all of a sudden. 

Eyeing his troubled expression, you reach to grab his hands. "Is something wrong Asahi? Has something been troubling you?" Giving his hands a gentle squeeze, you feel his hands relax slightly. You've been too clouded with your problems and never once asked Azumane if his life is alright. You curse yourself for being so self centered. 

Azumane inhales deeply, his brows knitting together when he slowly exhales. "I thought of this crazy idea the other night. If neither of us are married by the time we turn 30, let's--" He cuts himself off, his face turning a shade red. 

You remain quiet, staring at him intently. His brown eyes hesitantly stare at you directly. "Let's get married." Azumane whispers those words to you. 

"Marriage? Between you and I?" You nervously pull your hands away from him, feeling them grow clammy. Azumane takes your hand back in his, a look of nervousness when he speaks up again. "Do you not like the idea?" 

His tone is full of worry that you'd reject the idea. But you're more so wondering why this thought crossed his mind. "I-It's not that." You find your voice to answer him. Your eyes return to his redden one. "Why did this cross your mind?" 

Pursing his lips, Azumane looks away from you for a split moment. He seems to make up his mind as you watch him nod his head to himself. The next moment you see Azumane's face incredibly close to yours. The two of you stare at each other with different expressions. One of seriousness and the other with confusion. 

Azumane slowly closes his eyes, gently pressing a kiss to the outer corner of your lip. Your breath hitches from his action and your eyes soften when you watch him pull away slightly. "It seems like my emotions for you have changed Y/N. The night we kissed...I lied about not feeling anything." His brows knit together when he apologizes for lying. "I'm sorry for lying. I was too startled and didn't know how to process what was going on internally." 

Your stomach ties itself in knots and your heart races absurdly. 

"I don't know if telling you this is a good idea." Azumane frowns slightly. "Especially since Kuroo is back in the picture." His words fall and you watch him regret his confession. "But I couldn't hide this from you. So I'm sorry if my selfishness becomes a burden to you Y/N. My only regret is not falling for you sooner."

Azumane pulls himself away from Y/N. He dramatically sighs and droops his shoulders. "Now I have Kuroo as a rival for your heart and I'm sure this is already a losing battle." Azumane seeps back into his depressing state. A sight you're familiar with after the years of being close to him. "I guess I'll just be friend zoned for eternity. I'll die lonely in a mansion after my career sets off." 

Azumane murmurs depressing thoughts to himself, completely forgetting that you're still listening to him. 

"Stop it." You hop off the hood of Azumane's car to stand in front of him. You grip his jawline, forcing him to look at you. "What makes you think I'll fall in love with Tetsurō again, Asahi?" 

A melancholy expression reflects in your eyes. "Because...you wouldn't fight so much to ignore him if you didn't Y/N. You tell yourself you're afraid he'll walk out on you again but I'm sure you really meant to say...that you're afraid to fall in love again." 

The stern glare you give Azumane falters. Azumane carefully pries your hand away from his jawline. He presses a soft kiss to your hand, a pained smile. "And I'm sure Kuroo is unwilling to walk away from you a second time. He'd be a fool to." 

With a heavy sigh, Azumane sits up from the hood of the car. "Until he musters the courage to take you away from my grasp, I hope you don't mind if I act selfishly." Azumane lowers your hand to your side and he presses his forehead against yours. "My fragile heart definitely won't forgive me for what I plan to put it through from here on out." 

The sadness in Azumane's voice makes your heart ache. You want to tell him he's wrong but you couldn't loosely lie like that. You didn't choose who to fall for. Your heart would waver to whoever it wants. You can only feel sadness and guilt at the incapability to return Azumane's emotions. 

With your growing age, love is something serious and precious. It's not something you loosely say or do to kill time. 

_Just like a friendship._

"Asahi...this won't break our friendship will it? I don't want to lose you. I'd rather not love at all if we could keep what we have together." Your words tremble from your lips when you look at the man towering over you. His closed eyes and rested forehead against yours. 

Azumane became your safe haven and you didn't want to lose that. 

"Don't say such cruel things Y/N." His husky tone sends chills down your spine. "We all deserve love and I don't want you to push it away just for me. I told you before, I'll be here for you. No matter the time or location." 

His words cause your eyes to sting into tears. 

_What did you do to deserve a wonderful friend like Asahi?_

Azumane hears Y/N's sniffles and slowly flutter his eyes open. His hands cup her face and he wipes the tears away with his thumb. "My proposal still stands as well. If Kuroo doesn't pop the question before you turn 30, I'm not hesitating to sweep you up off your feet." The corner of Azumane's lips curl into a smile and he faintly chuckles. 

You cast your eyes down, feeling annoyed that you're crying so easily in front of Azumane. He doesn't seem to mind it too much. Azumane continues to wipe your tears. 

"I don't deserve you Asahi." You mutter, wrapping your arms around his waist. "I think that's my line." Azumane weakly retorts. His arms find themselves embracing Y/N again. The two not uttering another word. 


	7. Fated encounter

"Ms. Y/L/N, there's another flower delivery for you today." One of your interns arrive with a bouquet in her hand. You hold back the eye roll you're crying to make. It's one thing to send flowers to someone, but it's another thing when you've never told Kuroo where you worked. 

"Thank you." You force a smile on for your intern. You take the bouquet from her hands and place it next to the other bouquets you've received the last five days. 

Azumane lets out a yawn when he returns from his meeting. His eyes widen briefly when he sees Y/N rearranging her desk with another bouquet. "Did Kuroo send another one today?" 

Nodding your head, you lower your hands to your lap and stare at the collection you've piled on your desk. By the start of the next week you'll drown in flowers. 

"How long are you going to ignore him for Y/N? I think he's getting desperate for your attention." Azumane lightheartedly chuckles. He takes a seat beside you at his desk. Pursing your lips, you cross your arms and sigh. "It's not that I'm purposely ignoring him. The rooster never attached his phone number to any of the cards and I'm still thrown off on how he found out I work here." You scan todays bouquet for a handwritten card. 

_"I won't stop sending these flowers until you respond Y/N._ 😠 _I hope no one has a flower allergy. - Tetsurō"_

Azumane reaches for the card out of your hand and snickers when he reads it. 

"Ms. Y/L/N. You have a call on ext. two." Your intern from earlier calls out to you from across your desk. You thank her before picking up the call.

"Y/L/N Y/N, speaking."

"Ah, Y/N. I'm glad you're in the office still. I have a work proposal but I was too nervous to speak to your boss." A familiar low quiet voice speaks to you over the phone. Raising an eyebrow, you tilt your head slightly. 

"Kenma?"

"Oh. Right. I should've introduced myself first. Well, good thing you already know it's me." His voice doesn't sound apologetic and he continues to speak. "You're not busy are you? Could you come meet me for lunch?" 

Thrown off by Kozume's offer, you close your eyes and pinch your nose bridge. It's not like Kozume to speak so much at once either.

_Is Kuroo putting him up to this?_

"Um, let's backtrack the conversation a bit Kenma. You said you have a work proposal for me? I'm booked up right now with my current projects so if it's something immediate, you'll have to talk to my boss."

"Hmm..." Kozume murmurs lowly. You can visualize his slight frown and the bothersome look on his face. "Money works on your boss, right?"

Your brows furrow together, flabbergasted. With your jaw slightly ajar, Azumane closes it for you. He watches you with an adoring and curious expression.

_Since when did Kozume become a person who waves money around to get whatever he wants?_

"I mean--." He grows quiet. "Let me rephrase that."

"Sure."

"Because my proposal is slightly urgent, would paying double be acceptable in this current dilemma? I don't want anyone else to be the apparel designer of this project. It has to be you." You hear the seriousness and urgency in Kozume's voice. 

"I mean...I'm sure my boss wouldn't reject the idea. But, I'm already mentally stressed with my current projects. I'd like you to reconsider me as the one who's handling your project."

"No. It has to be you Y/N."

Kozume's curt tone makes silences you. You wonder what this project is and why Kozume adamantly wants you to be the one who takes on the project. 

"What exactly do you do for a living Kenma? Why would you need help from an apparel designer?" 

"I'll answer you if you go out to lunch with me."

Your heart skips from his words. It's odd for Kozume to be so blunt and straightforward like this. You've always seen him as quiet and to himself. He never brought attention to himself whenever he was a third wheel in your relationship with Kuroo back in the day. 

Finding your voice, you part your lips slowly to speak. You have to stay firm on your words too. "Like I said, you'll have to talk to my boss first before I make any plans to meet you Kenma."

Silence fills the call and you ready to hang up but Kozume shifts in his seat. "Fine. Let me talk to him." 

"Okay, I'll transfer you over." Lowering the phone from your ear, you press the number three to transfer Kozume over to your boss who's sitting in his office. Azumane leans over in his seat with a smile. "So, what did Kenma call for? Something about a project?" 

Sighing for the millionth time today, you run your fingers through your hair. Your eyes cast back to your laptop and you analyze the current dress you're working on for a client. "Apparently Kenma has this urgent project and he only wants me and no one else as the apparel designer." You then mumble under your breath, picking up your stylus to edit the dress. 

"What does he do for a living anyway?" 

"You don't know?" Azumane questions you as if you asked a ridiculous question. Looking over, you stare at Azumane with a deadpan expression. 

"I'm too busy lately to look up old friends on the internet." 

Azumane rolls his eyes with a chuckle. He raises up his phone with Kozume's profile on his screen. "Kenma is pretty remarkable. He's basically a social media influencer." 

You notice his huge following and his bio stating that he's a Youtuber and pro gamer.

_But what does that have to do with you being his apparel designer? Does he have an event to go to that needed a fancy attire?_

"Y/N!" Your boss hurriedly exits out of his office. "Did you decline Kozume Kenma's project without hearing him out?" Your boss scrunches his brows together, narrowing his eyes on you. You'd find him intimidating if he didn't look so eccentric. He wears a tuxedo completely bedazzled in jewels and several accessories on his fingers, ears, wrists, and neck. This week he's changed his hair into a lavender purple. 

Standing up from your seat, you eyed the man you call your boss. He's a drama queen most days. You wonder if he's one today as well.

"I didn't directly decline him. I just told him to speak to you first since I'm already booked up with other projects." 

"That's not what he told me." You watch your boss cross his arms, huffing under his breath. "Just push your projects over to Kimiko, your intern. It's good experience for her to know the pressure of several deadlines. I want you to solely focus on Kozume's project. He's waiting for you at the café down the street." 

You can't retort back when your boss slips back into his office with a satisfied hum. You slowly drop to your seat in disbelief. Kimiko looks absolutely terrified at the sudden pile of tasks that is thrown onto her. 

"He really does whatever he wants." Azumane tries to lighten the tense air around you with warm laughter. He then looks over at Kimiko. "I'll help you with the projects so don't worry Kimiko." Her shoulders relax and she thanks Azumane for his help. 

He then rests a hand on Y/N's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "Looks like you have a lunch date to go to Y/N. Show me the projects you've been working on so I could help Kimiko with it." 

Azumane's words pull you back to reality. You snap out of your shock, unsure whether to feel annoyed or what. But you couldn't keep Kozume waiting. Pulling up three folders, you show Azumane everything before heading out. You also apologize Kimiko for your boss's irrational decisions. 

You idle a bit in your seat when you grab your purse. "Could you not go with me Asahi? What if this is a trap and Tetsurō is the one I'm meeting with?"

"You think Kenma would go that far?" Azumane transfers your folders over to a USB, his eyes focused on your laptop. 

"Yeah." Pursing your lips, you grip onto the straps of your purse. 

"As much as I'd love to be with you, we can't leave Kimiko alone with these deadlines." Azumane turns his focus on you with a gentle gaze. "Try to behave yourself and tell me everything when you get back. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy your lunch with Kenma." Azumane outstretches one hand to pry your clenching hands away from the straps of your purse. He laces one hand in his, smiling directly at you. 

"Don't make him wait long." You feel the warmth of Azumane's hand give you a gentle squeeze. He slowly pulls away and you nod your head. The corner of your lips turn into a frown. You stand up from your seat and apologize to Kimiko again before hurrying out of the office to catch an elevator downstairs.

"Sorry if this is rude to ask Mr. Azumane...but are you and Ms. Y/L/N, dating?" Kimiko hesitantly asks from her desk across from Y/N's desk. Azumane blushes from the question. He shyly looks away and waves a hand in front of his face. 

"N-No. We're just best friends." Azumane extends Kimiko the USB in his hand. "Let's focus on these projects." 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Heaving another sigh under your breath, you cross the street and weave through the crowd. Your boss had told you that Kozume is at the café across the office building but he didn't clarify which one. You're left standing there completely dumbfounded when you stare at the many cafe's that line the strip.

"Y/N?" A voice shouts out to you from behind. Confused, you turn around and wish you hadn't. A flashy red corvette waits at the red light. The person sitting inside is no one other than Kuroo.

His eyes widen when the two of you make eye contact. The sound of a horn startles him and he realizes the light has turn green. He scrunches his nose, turning his car sharply to the right to park on the side of the street. You startle from the screech the tires make and the crowd falter away from the pathway. 

Kuroo receives many glares from the pedestrians walking past by.

_It's just one event after another for you today._

Kuroo fumbles to get the seatbelt off of him and he practically stumbles out of his drivers seat to hurry over to you. From his casual attire, you assume it's his day off. His plain black tee, ripped up denim jeans, black converses, a watch on one wrist, and three small pairs of silver hoop earrings adorn his left ear. 

If you didn't know who he was, you'd mistaken him for a playboy. 

Noticing that you've been staring at him for far too long, you clear your throat and point to his car. "Are you going to leave your car running with the keys inside?"

Kuroo just realizes the fact when you point it out to him. "Shit. Right, I should turn the car off. Don't move from your spot." He hurries over to his car, whipping his head over to look at you frequently to make sure you don't run away while he's distracted. You hold back the smile that itches to form on your face from his silly behavior.

_Looks like his funny nature still hasn't changed._

Kuroo hurries back to you with a small smile. "Alright, that's taken care of." 

You blankly look at him, not wanting to form any expression. 

"Are you on a lunch break? Where's Asahi?" Kuroo notices the lack of Azumane's presence by your side. You keep your words short. 

"He's at the office. I'm out to meet with a client." It doesn't seem like Kuroo is aware of Kozume's call. He's genuinely surprised to run into you like this. 

"Oh. I shouldn't hold you back then. Before you go though, I have to ask." He gulps, scratching the back of his head. He's not one to hold back on his words. But he seems to take your curt responses and closed off behavior into consideration. 

**Something about that makes you grow weak.**

"Why have you not responded to me? The flowers are arriving at your office, right?" Kuroo manages to ask you what's been bothering him. He shoves his hands into his pockets to hide his anxiety. His cat-like hazel eyes rest on your face. 

You dodge his gaze, staring to the ground. "If I answer your question, could you answer mine?"

"Yeah, of course." Kuroo is quick to reply. The two of you notice how anxious he is with his quickness to answer you. But you don't poke fun of him for it. 

"I have received your flowers and I'm not purposely ignoring you." You turn your attention over to Kuroo. His eyebrows raise slightly and you watch his shoulders droop a bit to relax. "You're just an idiot who didn't leave a number for me to contact." You blurt out your true feelings. 

His eyes widen in surprise and he gasps. "Wait, really?!" He ruffles his hair, clicking his tongue. "This whole time I thought you were dodging me. To think it was me all along." He murmurs this more to himself but you hear him clearly. Kuroo takes out his wallet, pulling out a business card, and extending it to you. 

A broad smile etches on his face when you look at him. "Here you are. Now you don't have any excuses to not reach out to me now." Seeing his bright smile pulls at your heartstrings. 

_You missed that smile._

You force your eyes shut for a moment. Startled at your thoughts. 

"Y/N?" Kuroo timidly peers at your scrunched face. "Is the sun hitting your eyes?" He moves himself in front of the sun that beams down. You play along with that excuse and nod your head. Recollecting yourself, you take his business card. "Your phone. I want you to punch in my contact before I leave." Kuroo waits for you to move. 

"Seriously?" You whisper to yourself. 

"Yes, seriously." Kuroo mimics your retort with a grin. "Are you always this sassy to Asahi?" 

Pulling up your contacts, you create a new contact for Kuroo. "No." 

"So just me?"

The two of you share a continuous conversation. There's not a dull moment and you find your cold behavior towards him wavering. 

"I guess." 

Your answer makes Kuroo chuckle lightly. He takes it as a compliment and you eye him with a raised brow. Saving his number to your phone, you show him the screen. "There. Are you happy now?" 

"Not quite." He mutters out. He taps the call button on your phone and you quickly end the call. Your plan was to never contact him yourself so he wouldn't be able to get your number. But obviously that trick wouldn't work on Kuroo. "You can't trick me Y/N. I know you too well."

"You knew." You mutter out to correct him. "Anyway, can you give me Kenma's number?" Kuroo's smile drops from his face and he knits his brows together.

"Why do you want his number?" He sounds a bit offended but you ignore it. 

"He's the client. I've made him wait long enough." 

Kuroo's face relaxes once he hears your answer. "I'll just call him. There's no need for you to have his number." Kuroo defensively responds and you shake your head. You're going to get Kozume's number either way if you are to work with him. 

"Hey, where are you at? I'm with Y/N and she told me she's looking for you." Kuroo speaks loudly over the phone with a smile. He nods his head a few times before saying goodbye to Kozume. "Let's go." 

"Let's?" You stare at Kuroo with a perplexed expression. "This isn't a get together lunch Tetsurō. It's a business lunch meeting."

"Don't sweat the small details. I'm going to leave you behind if you don't follow." 

You glue yourself to your spot. "You've left before." 

Kuroo notices his choice of words and he mentally curses himself for walking into that conversation. "Y-You know what I mean Y/N." He turns around looking a bit flustered.

"Yeah." Your lonely eyes speak louder than your curt response. "Go ahead, I'm following."

You agreed with Azumane that you'll let Kuroo back into your life. But it's hard to not let your grudge slip through the cracks. It'll take sometime for you to feel completely comfortable with Kuroo again. 


	8. A tuxedo and wedding dress

Kozume waves the two of you over when you both step inside the French style café. The regal theme of the café makes you uncomfortable. You can't imagine how much they will charge for a cup of tea or even coffee. 

"Glad to see you make it Y/N." Kozume motions his hand for you to take a seat across from him. You reach for the chair but Kuroo quickly pulls the chair out for you. A goofy grin is plastered on his face when he does so. 

Pursing your lips, you eye the chair before sitting down. "About this project...is it okay if Tetsurō hears about it?" You slip the strap of your purse off of your shoulder and settle it on your lap. Kuroo helps himself to the chair beside you. 

You're not surprised at this point at his eagerness to regaining the time you both lost. His excitement reminds you of a puppy who's missed their owner all day. 

"Yeah, it's fine. Kuroo would've found out anyway since we talk often." A waiter comes by with drinks that Kozume's already ordered ahead of time. Three peach iced teas and a three tier dessert sampler. 

Your eyes sparkle from the adorable tiny bite sized desserts. The colors are bright and can instantly brighten anyone's mood. But you try to focus on the topic at hand. 

Averting your eyes away from the dessert, you clear your throat and roll your shoulders. Getting distracted will only lag you longer here. "Now that I'm here, can you discuss what this urgent project is?" 

Kozume places a pink macaron on the tiny plate in front of you. "Eat first and I'll explain." His straightforward actions continue to throw you off but because he is a client and not a friend right now, you couldn't object him. Timidly nodding, you pick up the macaron. 

Kozume and Kuroo help themselves to the different desserts as well. You eat quietly to yourself, casting your eyes down to not look at them. Spending time like this reminds you of the happier days. You don't dwell on your thoughts for long when the fresh flavor of strawberries and cream melt on your tongue. 

With your guard down, a smile forms on your face with wavering eyes. Kuroo is more attentive to Y/N's expressions than to the dessert he hasn't taken a bite out of yet. Kozume stifles his low chuckle when he notices Y/N try to hide her expression with a blank one. 

"You don't have to act so stiff in front of us Y/N. We're friends." Kozume states his words as a fact and you awkwardly purse your lips. Kuroo extends his hand and offers the lavender macaron he holds between his fingers. 

"You've always had a sweet tooth Y/N." A gentle smile reflects in your eyes and you find yourself growing shy. 

Ignoring his macaron, you turn to look at Kozume. "Can we please talk about the project now?" 

Kuroo sighs under his breath quietly, shrugging his shoulders to brush the coldness Y/N's given him. Guilt clouds your mind but you push it away. Kozume swallows the dessert he's eating and nods his head. 

He reaches for his phone that's resting beside him. His fingers tap and slide on his phone screen. He then extends his phone over to you, showing you a rough sketch of what looks like a game title. Kuroo curiously leans forward to look at the screen. You hear his munching right by your ear with how close he is. 

This close proximity sends a chill down your spine. Thankfully Kozume explains the image to you, pulling your attention towards his project pitch. 

"I had the idea to make a video game last year and pitched the idea to my viewers. I gave them free form of suggesting and voting what kind of game they'd like to see from me. Oddly a dating simulator won."

"Wouldn't surprise me. Majority of your fans are girls, right?" Kuroo leans back in his seat with a chuckle. 

Kozume pouts slightly, mumbling under his breath. "I wanted to make a first person fighter game but..." He quietly sighs and shakes his head. "I promised to keep my word."

You look away from the rough sketch of the dating simulator. There wasn't much to go off on since it's just a sketch of the games logo. "And why exactly did you hire me? I'm not a coder or an artist." 

"I want you to make my tuxedo and a wedding dress." Kozume speaks curtly. Your eyes widen at the statement. You've never had to design something so sentimental and important before. Most of your apparel designs were eccentric because of your boss's taste in clients. 

A wedding dress design is completely different. A tuxedo is more common but you don't understand why Kozume wouldn't just purchase one from a high end store. 

"What do you need them for? The game is digitally drawn, right?" Kuroo questions Kozume, his head tilting slightly. 

"Yeah, but I want the ending to be different from other games. The ending would be a live scene of the player and I getting married. We'll blur out the persons face who'll be wearing the dress and keep their scenes focused on everything else to not ruin the immersion for the player." Kozume speaks with such devotion and excitement. He continues to explain how the game will play out. But everything goes from one ear to the other for you. 

You're baffled at the thought that you'll have to design a wedding dress and a tuxedo for Kozume. 

A hand waves in front of you and you snap back to reality. "This is something you can do, right?" Kozume looks directly at you. Your lips turn into a fine line, nervousness bubbles within you. 

"I've...never really designed a wedding dress before. I've done a few tuxedos but they're pretty out there. Bedazzled, colorful, split colors. Everything but the norm. Adding on the fact that this is made for you and that it's displayed in your first game..." Your voice falls short and the stress builds up. You couldn't manage to screw this project up in the slightest. 

"I believe in your work Y/N. I've researched a bit since the last time I looked up your social media profile and--" Kozume cuts his words off once he realizes he's slipped up. You stop your troubled thoughts for a brief second when you hear Kozume. 

"You looked me up? Is that how Tetsurō found out my workplace?" You eye the two suspiciously. 

Kozume scrunches his nose and casts his eyes down to his phone. Kuroo steps into the conversation to save his friend. "We're at a time where you can just type anyone's name and easily find information on them Y/N. It's not like we're stalking you or anything." He waves his hands in front of his face nervously. 

His words only cause you to grow more uneasy. But he's not exactly wrong. Your name has been attached in magazines and blogs for designing certain pieces in different fashion runways. Both you and Azumane have been labeled as upcoming designers. 

"Well...that's true." You mutter out. "Anyway, is there a deadline for this project?"

"Preferably we'd like the game to be finished by next year, spring season. September is just around the corner so...we have until February. March is the initial release. But because we have to record the final scene and have it sent off to be edited. Plus giving the graphic artists your designs to be drawn digitally..." Kozume ponders on when the ideal deadline for Y/N is. 

Hearing him throw one curveball after the next only gives you the impression that this is something you won't have much time on at all. You'll have to finalize a sketch by the end of the week and look for the proper material and size fitting. The two of you mentally sort your plans out. 

Kuroo quietly sits there, watching Kozume and Y/N with focused expressions. He reaches over to eat a bite sized vanilla cake. Just sitting with the two like this puts him at ease. It's been years since the three properly sat down and spent the day together. Times like this seems hard to come by since they've all became adults. More so because his lack of contact with Y/N all these years. 

He sneaks a few glances her way. She's definitely more beautiful than he remembered. Her personality seems a bit cold and unapproachable but he's positive it's a front she's putting up in front of him. Kuroo remembers the way Y/N easily lowers her guard around Azumane. The way the two held hands easily and how comfortable the two embraced one another. 

There's a slight tug on his heartstring when he thinks about those two. Even if they're not dating, it's not surprising if one of them have developed feelings for one another. 

Y/N and Kozume seem to be engrossed on their discussion after they've sort out their thoughts mentally.

"December. Is that a decent amount of time for you Y/N?" 

You nod your head. "It's better than a month. Do you have a specific wedding theme? Or if you want the dress in a certain style? The color of the tux?" You shoot one question after the next and Kozume is the one to feel overwhelmed now. 

He stares at you blank faced, his finger swirling the straw of his iced tea. "Um. The wedding will be set in the spring time. So, the tuxedo doesn't have to be exactly a tux either. A vest would be pretty cool. Something I wouldn't have to sweat in. We haven't thought of the theme but I can only assume there will be several flowers and light shades for colors. I'll send you more details on that when I talk it over with the game developers." 

Kozume pauses a moment before answering your question about the wedding dress. His golden eyes meet yours. "Design your dream wedding dress Y/N."

Kuroo widens his eyes at Kozume's words, his jaw agape. You also look surprised by his statement. 

"M-My dream wedding dress?" 

"You've had those kinds of ideas before, right? Or am I being inconsiderate and assume every girl dreams about that kind of thing." Kozume's voice grows smaller and smaller as he speaks. You cast your eyes down to your lap, squeezing your hands on your purse. 

You've had thoughts about your own dream wedding before. The dress, theme, color, music, and even food. All with your special someone who at the time was...

Your eyes drift over to Kuroo who glares daggers at the table.

Kozume quietly looks at Y/N's glance on Kuroo. He pretends to not notice when her eyes return to his. 

"Is that really what you want?" 

Kozume nods his head, a small smile on his face. "I'm sure you'll create something beautiful." 

A genuine smile forms on your face. His compliment gives you a bit of serotonin. You reach into your purse and extend your business card to Kozume. "Call me anytime of the day if you have more details on the theme. I'm awake majority of the day because of work so don't worry about the time." 

Kozume nods his head when he accepts the card from you. You slide your purse strap back over your shoulder and bow to him slightly. "I look forward to working with you Kozume Kenma." Extending a hand out, you watch Kozume grow shy from your professionalism. 

He takes your hand and gives it a firm handshake. "Likewise." 

Kuroo who's remained quiet, notices that Y/N's leaving the table. He quickly stands up and asks her if he should walk her out. "Should I walk you back to your office Y/N?"

"It's just across the street. I can manage." You glance at Kuroo for a moment before leaving the two behind. 

Kuroo frowns when he watches Y/N exit the café. He slowly sinks into his seat and groans. 

"She really doesn't like you Kuroo." Kozume speaks bluntly. 

"Gee, I didn't realize." Kuroo eyes Kozume with a sarcastic tone. Kozume chuckles softly with a smile. 

"But, you'll have more chances to get her to warm up to you now."

"What are you talking about?" Kuroo sulks in his seat, slowly watching the ice in his drink melt. 

"There was another reason I hired Y/N personally. That was for you two to get back together. She'll be around me more because of work. So if you somehow happen to be there at the same time we're together..." Kozume purposely doesn't finish his sentence to allow Kuroo to mentally fill the sentence himself. 

Kuroo jolts up from his seat with wide eyes and a loud gasp. "You're the best Kenma!"

Kozume grows shy from Kuroo's compliment, he lowers his head to avoid the staring customers. "Sit back down Kuroo, you're embarrassing us."

Kuroo obediently does so. 

The earlier sadness he felt is washed away by this newfound hope. He's not going to be easily pushed away by Y/N. Even if it chips his confidence bit by bit each time she ignores him. 

_It's the sacrifice he'll gladly take if this all leads him back into Y/N's heart._


	9. Rough draft

By the time you've returned back to the office, many of your coworkers have gone out to meet with their clients or headed off to lunch. You find yourself alone at the office. With the deadline set to be four months from now, you have to crunch down on your designs. 

You'll also have to schedule a day to get Kozume's measurements. Unless he has that information already to provide you. 

A sigh escapes your lips when you settle into your seat. A pink sticky note lays on your desk.

_"Kimiko and I stepped out for lunch. I hope your meeting went well. Be sure to tell me all about it when I get back._ 😄 _\- Asahi"_

A smile curls onto your lips when you read the note from Azumane. The smile falters when you raise your eyes to see someone enter the office. 

"Tetsurō? What are you doing here? Also...how'd you know our agency is on this floor?" A bit creeped out, you eye the man suspiciously. 

Kuroo notices Y/N's standoffish behavior and he quickly defends himself. "I figured you would be hungry since you didn't eat much during the meeting with Kenma." Kuroo carefully walks over to Y/N, extending a convenience store bag to her. "To answer your other question, I pressed every button and prayed I would find yours eventually." 

You hold back the laughter at his last statement. You could vision Kuroo's anticipated reaction as the elevator doors open on each floor. Your agency being on the 10th floor. 

Your eyes look over to the extended convenience store bag in front of you. You'd like to be stubborn and decline his food but your stomach has other plans the moment it growls. Your face flushes instantly from the embarrassment. 

Turning yourself around in your chair, you bite down hard on your bottom lip, forcing your eyes shut and you start to curse at yourself. 

Kuroo quietly sets the bag on Y/N's desk. He doesn't poke fun of her moment of embarrassment. His eyes flick onto the pink sticky note on her desk. It's hard for him to not notice it because of it's bright color. 

His lips turn into a fine line. 

_So Asahi writes cute notes for her?_

Kuroo catches himself getting slightly jealous over the weirdest things. He then notices the pile of flowers on Y/N's desk. She's also kept his own notes neatly in a pile. Something about that makes him happy and he forgets about Azumane for a moment. 

Noticing how quiet it is between the two of you, you slowly turn back around to look at Kuroo. 

He's putting a lot more effort into regaining your trust than you figured he would. But, you didn't want to be so easily swayed by a few flowers and food. Your trust isn't something that can be bought. 

Pursing your lips, you part them slightly to speak up. "Thank you for the food. I'll be sure to eat it after I sketch up a few rough drafts. You should leave before someone comes back." 

Kuroo pulls his eyes away from the flowers. He lays his hazel eyes on your face and simply stares at you. You can tell he aches to say something but he nods in response instead. His large hand scratches the back of his neck. 

"I hope what I bought you is still your favorite. Don't work too hard Y/N." Kuroo raises his hand away from his neck and waves a goodbye to you. You respond with a light nod and watch him turn around to leave the office. The moment you don't see his broad back is when you curiously look inside the convenience store bag.

There lays a tonkatsu bento box, honeydew soda, and a flan cup. You reach for the flan, a bittersweet smile on your face. 

Goosebumps litter your body at the reaction. 

The two of you would share this kind of meal often afterschool when his volleyball practices are over. Memories of your relationship briefly flashes on your mind and you feel your heart ache in response. You shake the thoughts away and return the flan back into the bag. 

Turning on your laptop and opening up a sketchbook, you begin to work on a few rough sketches. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

The daylight from earlier is long gone when the office is dead silent with the only sound being the few car honks outside. Everyone's left the office besides Y/N, Azumane, and Kimiko. 

"We should wrap up for the day. We've made a lot of progress, good job Kimiko." Azumane smiles at the intern who looks completely exhausted. She wears a tired smile when she turns off her laptop for the day. Her hands busily puts her belongings into her purse. She casts her eyes across from her and gasps a bit. 

"Ah...Mr. Azumane, it looks like Ms. Y/L/N fell asleep." 

Azumane raises an eyebrow and turns his head to the left. He stifles a chuckle when he notices Y/N resting her head against her sketchbook. Her chest heaves up and down slowly and she's definitely in a deep slumber. 

"I'll wake her up. Don't wait up for us. Get home safely too." Azumane shares a gentle smile to Kimiko who waves goodbye before leaving. Azumane returns his soften eyes over to Y/N. Her hair falls over her eyes and he carefully tucks it behind her ear. His eyes cast over to her sketchbook. Several different designs of wedding dresses fill the page. 

The moment he returned from lunch, Y/N was deeply concentrated in her work so the two couldn't discuss about her project with Kozume. From the looks of it, it seems to be a wedding project. 

Confused by the theme, Azumane wracks his brain to find a reason why Kozume would need something like this.

_Is he getting married?_

Azumane doesn't recall Kozume stating he has a girlfriend or let alone a fiancé. 

Deep in his own thoughts, Azumane doesn't realize Y/N slowly waking up. 

You groggily open your eyes.

_When did you fall asleep?_

Your eyes try to adjust to your surroundings and you notice Azumane with a troubled expression. Slowly raising your head and rubbing your eyes, a yawn escapes from your lips. "Is something wrong Asahi?" You tiredly speak in a soft hush tone. The tall man beside you startles from your voice. He wears a small smile when your eyes meet. 

"A wedding theme, huh?" Azumane points to your sketchbook. 

_Oh. Right. You didn't tell Azumane about your project._

Picking up the sketchbook you fell asleep on, you extend it to Azumane to look over. You quickly catch him up about the meeting with Kozume and slide in a few mentions of how Kuroo randomly appeared the moment you were looking for Kozume. 

Azumane chuckles softly when you furrow your brows at the mention of Kuroo. "So this dress will make an appearance in a dating simulator game where you can marry Kenma? That's super immersive. I'm sure the player will be overwhelmed with emotions seeing Kenma hold their hand and saying the words 'I do'."

You shrug. It's weird to see someone you know fantasized in that way. But, you'd lie to yourself if you said Kozume wasn't handsome. You understand how easily it is to adore someone like him. 

"So, you're free to design the dress anyway you want? That's pretty nice." Azumane smiles when he looks up from the notebook. 

"You'd think so. But I find it more difficult. I have too much creative freedom now." You huff in response. "I've had thoughts of an ideal wedding dress but I can't help but feel overwhelmed. I imagined I would design this dress when I'm actually getting married. Is it stupid of me to get emotional about this being made for a game instead?" Your voice softens and falls into silence, your shoulders drooping.

Azumane places the sketchbook back down onto your desk. He wears a half-smile. "I get where you're coming from. Why not try to outdo yourself for your actual wedding dress? The one you'll wear when you're marrying me." 

Your eyes widen and Azumane's chuckle erupts from his throat. His playful tease pulls you out of your sulking and you lightly push his shoulder. "D-Don't say that so casually Asahi!" You cry out in a soft whine. He raises his hand up to his mouth to muffle his ongoing laughter. 

"S-Sorry. I couldn't help it." He calms himself down and exhales slowly. "Anyway, we should get out of here. It's getting late." 

The two of you grab your belongings and walk out of the office together. 


	10. Back to square one

Locking your car door, you slowly stand in front of the skyscraper building that towers over you, eyeing the tall building. Your eyes then lower back to the parking lot you're in. You spot several luxury cars. Feeling out of place is an understatement to how odd you feel being here. 

Two weeks has passed and Kozume managed to find a day for the two of you to meet up. Instead of going over to his place, he texted you to drop by Kuroo's. You didn't want to question the meeting location. The two have always been close so it's not unusual for the two to hang out on a regular basis.

You envied them a bit. 

_Their friendship is unbreakable._

Not their jobs or time will stop them from visiting one another frequently. You wonder if the same would happen to you and Azumane if the two of you parted ways after university and were never hired at the same agency. 

Feeling that you've idled a bit too long in the parking lot, you hurry inside the building. A guard greets you. 

"Hello miss. May I ask for your name?"

You hold back the eyebrow raise that itches to form on your face. It's not weird for the guard to ask this kind of question. There must be elite celebrities living in this building. He's only doing his job to protect the ones who live here. 

He follows up with another question after asking his previous one.

You answer his questions and silently watch him tap away on his computer. The sound of the elevator door opens and he points over to the elevator. "Have a good evening Ms. Y/L/N" 

"Thank you." Quietly whispering to the guard, you bow to him before walking over to the elevator. You then realize you're unsure which floor Kuroo is in. But your eyes catch sight of a number being lit automatically. 

The doors then close and you're slowly riding the elevator up.

You can't help but be amazed at this type of technology. 

After a short ride on the elevator, the elevator slowly comes to a stop and the doors open again. You timidly step out, anticipating several options of doors for you to guess which one belonged to Kuroo before texting him. Luckily, there is a single door in the quiet hallway. 

Kuroo has an entire floor of the building to himself. 

_How much does this man make?_

You can't imagine ever becoming this filthy rich in your entire life. As you approach the door, you hear two voices. 

"Do you think she got lost? It's taking her awhile to get here." Kuroo looks over to Kozume who shrugs, a look of indifference. "I'm sure the guard is holding her up." Kozume mutters. 

Kuroo slips his shoes on, hand on the doorknob. "I added her to the list of visitors. Maybe he's interrogating her since you're the only person I've had on my list for years." Kuroo unlocks his door and pulls the door open. He stops in his track when he notices a pair of familiar eyes. 

You make eye contact with Kuroo who looks worried. His expression relaxes when he sees you standing there. Usually you'd make a joke if it was Azumane who worried over you like this. But, because it's Kuroo and you're still timid around him, you decide to put the jokes aside.

"Sorry for being late." You glance at Kuroo briefly before resting your eyes on Kozume. Kuroo shakes his head and steps to the side to allow you in. "No worries."

You quietly thank him before entering his place. 

Not wanting to make too much eye contact with either of them, you focus on taking your heels off at the foyer. Kozume silently walks back to the living room. Kuroo stands next to you, taking the shoes he's just put on, back off. 

"Welcome to my place, Y/N. Can I get you something to drink while you and Kenma discuss about your project?" Kuroo walks towards his kitchen. 

"Green tea would be nice if you have any." You answer him and he replies with a small smile on his face. Turning your eyes away from Kuroo, you make your way over to Kozume who's laying on one end of the sofa with his phone raised above him. His fingers tap on the screen aggressively. 

The corner of your lips tug into a small smile when you notice how comfortable Kozume is. Typically your business meetings are not this lax. 

You quietly take a seat on the other end of the sofa. Feeling the slight shift of weight on the sofa, Kozume pauses his game. He sits up straight and scoots next to Y/N while she busily grabs her sketchbook out of her purse. 

Kozume silently takes the sketchbook out of your hand without any warning. Your eyes widen briefly from how casual he's being. Kozume flips through the sketchbook quickly until he finds a highlighted sticker tab. He assumes this is marked for the current project Y/N is working on. 

Seeing the sketches of a suit and wedding dress, his assumption is correct. He notices several question marks besides the sizing of the suit. Kozume turns to look at Y/N who's patiently waiting for his thoughts on the outfit. 

"What do you think? It's just a sketch for now. I wish I could show you more detail besides a generic suit but..." Your words trail off and Kozume lowers the sketchbook down onto the coffee table. 

"Sorry, it's my fault for not communicating better. I talked it over with the team and we finalized a theme yesterday." Kozume speaks softly while he takes his phone out to show you a visual sketch of the wedding theme. 

Because it's taking place during the spring season, you're not surprised to see several beautiful flowers. "Which flowers do you think will look best for the wedding? We've finalized it down to ten of them. Whichever one you like best, I'll go along with it." 

Kozume hands you his phone. You feel your heart waver a bit at Kozume's statement. If no one had the context that Kozume is asking this question for his video game, they'd seriously think the two of you are planning an actual wedding. 

Kuroo returns with three glasses of green tea. He sets it down on the coffee table before sitting to the right of Kozume. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you two are planning an actual wedding." Kuroo speaks your thoughts aloud with a dry chuckle. Kozume silently eyes Kuroo for his bad teasing. 

You decide to not say anything. It surprises you enough that he's said your thoughts aloud. 

"I personally like baby-breaths and peonies together. White and pink for the colors." You extend Kozume's phone back to him which he quietly takes back. 

"Alright. Sounds good. The theme color can also be white and pink then." Kozume reaches for one of the glasses sitting on the table. He takes a sip of the drink while you jot this new information down. 

"Are you okay with pink, Kenma? Do you want your own color instead?" You raise your eyes away from your sketchbook to look at Kozume who's shaking his head while drinking his green tea. 

"I personally would like red for me." Kuroo slides his way into the conversation. He looks at you hesitantly and you're aware that he's trying his best to be part of the conversation. 

"I would've guessed that." A faint smile forms on your lips when you shake your head and return your attention to Kozume. "Do you happen to know your body measurement Kenma? I need them so I can start making the suit." 

Kozume lowers the green tea back onto the glass table. "Not exactly." 

You quietly sigh and pull out a measuring tape from your purse. Standing up, you urge Kozume to do the same. "Let's get this over with then." 

Kozume looks amazed by the measuring tape in your hand. "Do you always carry that around?" He stares at the tape that floats beside him. 

"Tetsurō, could you hold this up for me?" You extend the tape to Kuroo. He's surprised to hear Y/N speak directly to him. Without a second to waste, Kuroo stands on his feet and holds up the start of the measuring tape. "To answer your question Kenma-- yes. I carry a measuring tape with me incase a client of mine is unsure about their true size." 

You slowly lower yourself down, stopping the tape beside Kozume's feet. You jot down his height before moving onto his waist, neck, arms, shoulders, and chest. The only last thing to measure is the height between his thighs. You feel the heat in your cheeks burn when Kozume looks away from the notes on your book. 

"What is it?" He asks innocently, tilting his head slightly.

"I need to..." Your words fall short and you're left blushing. Feeling the tips of your ears redden, you grow nervous.

_You have to get those measurements._

Your eyes briefly look over to his inner thighs. Kuroo raises an eyebrow from Y/N's sudden coy behavior. "Actually, could you step on this end for me Kenma? Tetsurō adjust yourself accordingly to where Kenma steps." 

Kuroo silently nods his head. Kozume does as he's told and you carefully inch the tape closer to his inner thigh. A faint blush streaks on Kozume's face when he realizes where Y/N's inching the tape to. He gulps quietly, averting his eyes from her. 

Kuroo however glues his eyes onto Y/N's face. He savors her flustered reaction at the whole ordeal. She tries to look at the number quickly before jotting it down. From the way she's reacting, you'd think she's a virgin.

_But Kuroo knows full well that Y/N is far from that._

Feeling like he's stepped long enough on the tape, Kozume lifts his foot off. The tape naturally rolls back up and Kuroo places it on the table before the three sit back down on the sofa. 

"Alright, that should do it." You smile to yourself at the amount of information you received today. 

"Did you need anything else? Or is that plenty of information for you to finalize a solid sketch the next time we meet?" Kozume briefly looks over your notes. 

"I should have a final product by the end of this week. I'll send you a text since I'm sure you'll be busy with other things, right?" You close the sketchbook, eyeing Kozume. 

He wears a small smile. "I'll make time for you Y/N even if I'm busy. It's more fun if we meet up like this once a week to discuss things in person." 

"Oooo, smooth. I didn't know you were a natural flirt Kenma." Kuroo chuckles when he looks at the two. Kozume sighs under his breath, shaking his head. "I'm just being honest. Ideally I would be fine with a text but..." Kozume focuses his golden eyes on you. "There's a lot of missed time we have to catch up on. You, me, and Kuroo." 

His words stab your chest deeply and it starts to become hard to breath. The serious tone behind his voice and the way he looks at you is all too intense. You try to avoid his gaze but it seems like you're paralyzed under his cat-like golden eyes. 

_Is this wedding project just a way for Kozume to lure you back to him and Kuroo?_

Without the project gluing you to Kozume, you'd personally never reach out to them on your own. You are too stubborn and still hold a grudge on Kuroo. There would be no chance for you to ever reach out to them on your own accord. 

_Not yet anyway._

"I just want to clarify that we're meeting up like this because of the project, right?" You eye Kozume with a stern look. His expressions remain still. 

"Yeah." Kozume keeps his answer short and blunt. 

But Kuroo is the one to feel slightly offended by Y/N's question. "Is it bad for us to hang out like this Y/N? The three of us would hang out like this often back then." His furrowed brows and slight frown on his face eats at you. 

**His expressions are always a weakness of yours.**

You gulp the saliva that builds up in your mouth. No words seem to form on your tongue and you decide it's time for you to leave. 

Standing up, you bow slightly to the two. "I should head back before it gets too late. I'll contact you again when I finalize the sketch some more Kenma." You turn around to leave without waiting for either of them to respond. 

However, Kuroo hurries after you at the foyer. He grabs onto your wrist with a shaky hand. Your eyes narrow down at his clasp hand before you raise your eyes up to look at him. Weakly, you pull your wrist back but Kuroo tightens his hold. The two of you silently stare at one another. 

"Let go Tetsurō. My business here is done." 

"No."

You tilt your head with knit brows. "No?"

Kuroo bites his bottom lip, seemingly in distress. "If I were Asahi right now, you'd be okay if I held onto you like this. Right?" 

Confused by his question, you once again try to pull your arm back. But it's no use when you feel Kuroo remain strong on his grip. 

"Yes, I would. Is that what you want to hear Tetsurō?" You attempt a third try and are successful when you feel Kuroo loosen his grip from your answer. You rub the redden area, glaring at Kuroo. "Just because we're talking a little bit, doesn't mean I'm completely ready to open up to you Tetsurō."

Kuroo's jaw clenches in response to your words. His eyes flicker into one of frustration but you slowly watch it go out. He heaves a sigh and relaxes his tense shoulders. "What should I do for you to look at me like the way you look at Asahi?" 

"Think of the answer yourself Tetsurō." You murmur under your breath as you slide on your heels. Kuroo ruffles his hair in annoyance. But he doesn't lash out on you. 

"Fine. I guess I'm back to square one. I'll win your trust again, just you wait Y/N." Kuroo sounds more fired up after your curt response. His eyes flicker with determination when he stares through you. "Expect to see this devilishly handsome face on a daily basis."

_Daily? He must be joking._

You scoff in response, a sly smile on your face. "Hah, sure." You turn your back on Kuroo and exit the lavish home of his. 

The two of you are far from the same people you once were back then. Kuroo is ten steps ahead of you, while you're twenty steps behind.


	11. In all honesty

"Y/N?" Azumane groggily rubs his eyes when he greets you at his front door. You notice his loose tie and sloppy dress shirt that covers his chest. The dark circles under his eyes are alarming. With the two of you busy with your own projects, you only cross paths in greetings at the office. 

You decide to drop by to visit him after leaving Kuroo's place. Seeing Kozume and Kuroo together made you miss Azumane. 

Extending your hand towards Azumane's face, you gently stroke under his eyes. "Have you been pulling all nighters?" 

Azumane startles awake from your gentle touch. He blinks several times, clearing his throat. "N-No." 

Narrowing your eyes on his face, Azumane falters a bit. He quickly dodges your stare, forcing his eyes down to the floor beneath his feet. You gently nudge yourself inside, slipping past him. Azumane silently closes the door behind you. 

"What brings you here at this hour?" Azumane notices Y/N still in her formal attire. "Did you just get off work?" 

Nodding your head, you raise the bag Azumane hasn't noticed yet. "I brought your favorite." You smile from ear to ear. Azumane's face brightens and he tugs you over to the dining table after you take your heels off, eager to eat. He's forgotten how hungry he is until Y/N's mentioned food. 

You snicker when you see Azumane's bright eyed expression. He sits patiently while you take a hot container out of the bag. You lift the lid off of the container, revealing Azumane's favorite meal. 

_Tonkotsu ramen._

He claps his hands together and thanks you for the food, accepting the chopsticks you extend to him. He's too eager to eat and completely ignores the spoon you extend out to him. Shaking your head with a smile, you place the spoon in his bowl. 

You prop your elbow on the table and rest your cheek in your palm. A feeling of peace comforts you when you watch Azumane happily enjoy his meal. 

The silence from you catches his attention. He slows his chewing and notices that you're not eating. Swallowing what's in his mouth, he lowers his chopsticks to speak up. "Are you not eating?" 

"I only bought the ramen for you, Asahi." A giggle escapes your lips when you watch his expression fall. He twirls some ramen into the spoon and extends it to you. 

"Here, eat. I'm sure you're hungry too." 

Shaking your head, you urge him to enjoy his food. Azumane purses his lips, unsure if she's being genuine about not wanting to eat the ramen. After the silent stare down, Azumane gives in and continues to eat. 

"You still didn't answer my question. Is something on your mind? Your surprise visits usually happen if you're bothered." Azumane sips on the broth, his eyes focused on you. 

Shyly lowering your eyes down to the table, you twirl the end of your hair around your finger. 

"I just missed you. That's all." You speak in a hush whisper. You're unsure if Azumane even heard you with how soft you spoke. 

But, it's Azumane that you're talking about. He easily notices the smallest changes in you. 

The corners of his lips pull into a smile. His chest is warm and it's not from the ramen. 

Azumane pushes his bowl away. He extends a hand towards Y/N and delicately strokes the side of her head. "It makes me happy to hear you say that. I missed you too Y/N." 

You return Azumane's smile with your own. "Being around Kenma and Kuroo doesn't fill that empty space?" Azumane pulls his hand away, raising his eyebrows with a playful smile. 

You groan at the thought of Kuroo. Scrunching your nose, you cross your arms and lean back in your seat. Azumane returns to his ramen with a soft chuckle from your irritation. "Tetsurō is trying his best to win me over. But I wish he approached it in a different manner." Murmuring under your breath, your words trail off. 

"He also mentioned you." Your eyes slowly travel across the table to Azumane. He looks puzzled with a raised eyebrow and a mouth full of ramen. "Something about looking at him the same way I look at you?" 

Azumane chokes and coughs the moment he hears you. You quickly get up to rush over to his fridge to grab anything for him to consume. Twisting the cap of a water bottle off, you hurry back to Azumane who's slapping his chest. He swigs the bottle of water in one go, red in the face. "H-He what?" 

"Apparently I look at you in a way that makes him want the same attention." You explain Kuroo's words in simpler terms. 

"I guess he doesn't like those cruel eyes you would shoot at him often?" Azumane thinks on the statement, his coughing fiasco now subsiding. You shrug in response. 

Of course you wouldn't look at Kuroo with such kind eyes. Ten years have past and the damage he's left behind wouldn't be easily replaced in the course of a month.

Azumane presses a finger between your knit brows. Your face relaxes when you make eye contact. Azumane's dark brown eyes easily comforts you no matter what negative mood you are in.

"I'd like to be selfish and say that I want you to look at me that way and me alone." Azumane pauses before he let's out a dragged out exhale. "But, I know that's impossible..." Shrugging his shoulders, he ruffles your hair with one hand. "Didn't you say you would give Kuroo a chance? Your walls seem pretty blocked off for him still." 

Pursing your lips, you shrug in response. "I'm just scared still. If I do let him back in, would the two of us pick up where we left off? Or is this just the honeymoon phase where it's exciting to rekindle lost time but he'll revert back to his past self. The past self that is afraid of commitment." 

"Well...you wouldn't know the results unless you try Y/N." Azumane replies when he notices you've grown silent. A troubled expression paints on your face. "Are you also implying that you wouldn't mind dating Kuroo again too?" 

You raise your eyes away from the table and flick them over to Azumane. He wears a small smile. One that's of sadness but still full of support. 

"I..." 

_What do you plan to say?_

You don't know the answer to Azumane's question. 

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that." Azumane backtracks on his words. He pulls his hand back to his side and a silence looms over the conversation. It's been years since the two of you shared an awkward silence. You try to come up with anything to say but you come out empty-handed. 

_Azumane is someone who likes you._

He's confessed his feelings to you already. The two of you even made a pact to get married if the two of you are still single by the age of 30. 

Your heart should flutter at something like this.

_But why does it stay unwavering?_

The thought brings out a deep sadness within you. 

Azumane deserves the entire universe and then some. But you don't believe you're the person who can provide him that very thing. 

**Because in all honesty...you are just afraid to fall back in love with Tetsurō.**

That man will easily have you wrapped around his finger if you do lower your guard for him.

_Falling in love is just as scary as a heartbreak._


	12. Because I loved you

Time seems to loosely slip between your fingers. You wonder where the last two weeks went when you realize you're in the third week of September. The entire office is busy with chatter and the sound of keyboards clacking away.

You nervously gaze across your desk to see Azumane and Kimiko smiling and laughing amongst each other. The two have grown friendly ever since Azumane's lend Kimiko a hand with the projects that were shoved onto her. 

There's a feeling of jealousy when you eye the two. 

Things between you and Azumane shifted slightly since the night you came to visit him. You became aware of Azumane's slight standoffish behavior. But you understood why. If the two of you continued to treat one another in an overly friendly behavior, his heart would only suffer more. Despite how he said he would be there for you, you think otherwise. 

Loose words can easily be said but actions are much harder to act on when the emotions unravel.

You quietly sigh to yourself. Being in the office is making you feel stuffy. Glancing at the time, you decide to head out of the office to get inspiration for your wedding dress. You've already completed Kozume's suit design and just had to wait on the materials to be shipped. 

A light khaki suit, white dress shirt, paired with a low cut light khaki vest adorn with eight brown buttons. You went for the untraditional suit color route. With the theme being in spring, you figured light colors would match well. If Kozume pairs his suit with a few accessories, you're sure he'll look absolutely breath taking.

_*excuse my poor photoshop skills*_

You only hope Kozume will like the suit when you finish the final product. With your belongings put away, you stand up from your desk to leave. Kimiko notices you preparing to leave and speaks up. "Are you heading out Ms. Y/L/N?" 

A slight hesitance looms over you when Kimiko catches you try to slip out of the office without anyone's awareness. You turn to look at the girl with a nod to your head. "Let me walk you out." She smiles, readying herself to stand up. 

You quickly wave a hand over to your face. "No, it's alright. Your deadlines are arriving soon. I can walk myself out." 

Kimiko wears a small frown but nods her head. Your eyes meet Azumane's for a brief moment. The two of you awkwardly look away. "Have a good day you two." Forcing on a smile, you wave goodbye before walking out of the office.

Kimiko watches Y/L/N leave before eyeing Azumane suspiciously. "Did you two fight?"

Azumane widens his eyes with a raised brow. "W-What makes you think that?" 

"The two of you haven't spoken more than a few words lately. It's also rare for Ms. Y/L/N to ever leave the office this early in the day. It's only noon. You've also avoided her when she would initiate a conversation." Kimiko points out all the things she's observed between her two coworkers the past two weeks. Azumane grows embarrassed at the thought and he tries to steer the conversation back to work. 

"I think the client would prefer this dress to be looser at the ends." Azumane clears his throat, tapping his pen on the tail of the dress. Kimiko sighs, shaking her head with a small smile. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

You idle in a parking lot with another sigh escaping from you when you rest your forehead against your steering wheel. You didn't expect to be this depressed about your friendship with Azumane. You've also come to the realization that you have no one to talk about this to. Your grandfather no longer around to hear about your troubles. And the last thing you want to do is reach out to that rooster head. 

"Ugh..." You groan under your breath, forcing your eyes closed. The chime of your phone pulls you out of your self sadness. The caller ID surprising you. 

"Kenma?" You whisper his name to yourself. Extending your hand for your phone that sits in your cup holder, you answer it. "Hello?" 

"Hey Y/N." Kozume's low voice meets your ear. An awkward silence fills the call and you're unsure if you should say hello to his hello. But you hear a loud honk on his end. The same honk you hear in your surrounding area. 

Tilting your head, you look around. You startle when Kozume's face suddenly appears by your driver side window. You let out a squeal, clasping a hand over your chest. Kozume stifles his chuckle and he lowers his phone away from his ear. You press a button to lower your driver side window. 

"What the fuck Kenma?" Your voice is trembling and you feel your heart still race from the surprise. 

"You still hate surprises." Kozume mutters more to himself than to you when he speaks. 

"Why did you call me if you were nearby?" You lower your phone back into the cup holder. Kozume lowers himself so he's not staring down at you. He crosses his arms and rests them on the opening of the driver window. 

"I wasn't sure if it was you, so I called to see if the person in the car would answer. Luckily, it is you." 

You eye the golden eyed man. 

"You look a bit depressed. Is everything okay?" Kozume carries the conversation. Something he rarely does. He's more of a listener but today he seems to be more talkative. You wonder if it's his way to make you feel comfortable. The two of you only converse about the project and nothing out of that general topic. 

You've indirectly ignored him to avoid Kuroo and you feel guilty for doing so without realizing. Kozume's never done anything wrong to you personally. He was left in the dark between your breakup with Kuroo. Not knowing any better, you unintentionally cut yourself off from Kozume the way Kuroo had done to you.

Your eyes downcast to your lap. Speaking to Kozume is much easier than speaking to Kuroo. You doubt Kozume would tell your business to Kuroo without your approval. 

"No. I'm feeling a bit depressed." You speak honestly and softly. Kozume quietly watches your emotions form on your face. The slight twitch of your lip forming a frown and the shadow that casts over your eyes. 

Kozume looks at the watch that rests on his wrist. Making up his mind, he stands up and reaches into your car to unlock the door. You watch him walk around the front of your car and casually seats himself in your passenger seat. "Let's go window shopping." Kozume mutters the suggestion out as he buckles his seatbelt on. "You still need inspiration for a wedding dress, right? Could I help?" 

You look at Kozume in bewilderment, blinking several times. Squinting your eyes at the person beside you, you part your lips to speak. "You...You want to look at wedding dresses with me? It's not going to be exciting or anything. Besides, don't you have other things to do? I don't want to intru-" 

"Y/N." Kozume speaks your name curtly. His steely golden eyes looks directly at you. "I'll make time for you Y/N, even if I'm busy. Did you forget I said that?" 

Pursing your lips, you feel the need to look away from him. But you couldn't. 

"I thought you were just loosely speaking. Like how Asa-" You cut your words off and bite the tip of your tongue. 

Kozume catches a hint to what possibly may be causing Y/N to be depressed.

_So it has something to do with Azumane._

Kozume steers the conversation away when he pulls up his phone to search up the surrounding wedding dress stores in Tokyo. "There's surprisingly only a handful of wedding dress shops here. I would've thought there would be more in a busy city like this." 

"I don't think a wedding dress is a hot demand compared to video games." You reverse the car out of the parking spot while you speak to Kozume. 

"I guess that's true." Kozume taps his screen a few times to open up the address into his GPS. He connects his phone through the Bluetooth of your car. The two of you comfortably discuss about the progress of his game while you drive to the first location.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Upon entering the first wedding dress store, you come out empty handed for inspiration. The second one was no better. The two of you walk side by side to the last location for the day. It's gotten so late already with the sun slowly setting in the horizon between tall buildings. 

"I didn't think wedding dress looking would be this tiring." Kozume softly speaks beside you when he opens the door for you. You let out a dry laugh. 

"Fortunately for you, you wouldn't have to do this for your real wedding Kenma." You enter the store and are welcomed by the shop owner. Her bubbly personality radiates when she eyes the two of you. 

"Welcome to my little wedding dress boutique. What brings you in today?" The owner walks around the counter to meet you by the front entrance. Kozume strolls off and you're left to speak to the owner by yourself.

"I'm here to get some inspiration for a wedding dress." You answer her with a smile. She claps her hands excitedly. 

"That's fun!" She leans forward to whisper. "Sorry if I'm wrong but, is he your fiancé?" 

_Fiancé? Kenma?_

"Ah, n-" Your words are cut off when you hear Kozume call out to you. You look around and spot Kozume at the far corner of the shop. The shop owner smiles brightly when she notices Kozume picking out a dress. She hurries over to help him. You exhale under your breath and shake your head with a small smile. 

"You have a great eye for detail, sir." You watch Kozume grow shy from the compliment he received from the owner. His eyes meet yours and he points at the dress. "This dress looks pretty."

That's a first. Out of the three stores you've visited today, this is the first one where Kozume compliments a dress. 

"I'm sure it'll look even prettier on your fiancé. Would you like to try it on miss?" The owner looks from Kozume to you. Her eager personality makes you feel guilty if you declined her. But you honestly didn't plan to try any dresses on today. You are only here to look for ideas. 

Kozume looks at you expectantly. His silent eyes seem to ask you to try it on as well. You're taken aback from his silent plea. You're also thrown off that he didn't correct the owner either about you being his fiancé. 

Taking your silence as an okay, the owner gently taps your shoulder and beckons you to follow her to a changing room. 

"I'll hold your purse for you." Kozume reaches for the strap on your shoulder and you feel the weight disappear. Not having a moment to discuss this, you feel the urgency to enter the changing room. 

After being unwilling to change into the dress for a split second, you give into the pressure. A sadness still eats at you that you're putting on a wedding dress for the reasoning of something else. 

"It's rare for couples to go wedding dress shopping together." The owner speaks from outside the changing room. "But I find it special too when they do shop together. It's another memory for them to share." A warm smile lays on the owners face when she waits for you to come out. 

You nervously raise your eyes up to the mirror. Instantly you lose your breath when you see how beautiful the dress looks on you. It was pretty before but with it actually being worn, gratifies the beauty. An off the shoulder A-line wedding dress defines your curves and shoulders beautifully. The dress details are kept simple with the top popping out from a simple flower lace detail. This style would suite anyone and it definitely pulls out your best features. 

You feel the need to hurry out of the changing room to show Kozume how right he is. Exiting out of the changing room, the owner squeals when she sees you. You giggle from her adorable reaction. The owner may be in her mid 40's but her personality is as youthful as her early 20's. 

"Let's go show him!" She carefully takes your wrist and guides you back out to the front of the store. Kozume found himself a chair to sit in while he gazes out of the store window. You're surprised to not find him on his phone playing video games. 

"Ta-da!" The owner hums out loudly and dramatically to add more pizazz to your entrance. You grow shy from her efforts to hype you up. 

Kozume turns his attention back to Y/N and his usual deadpan expression changes. You notice the slight widening in his eyes and his lips parting slightly to release the breath that's stolen away from him. His eyes slowly follow up to your eyes and you share a smile for him. 

"You're right. This dress is pretty Kenma." You speak softly. Kozume slowly walks over to you, circling you to take in the sight. 

"Wow." Kozume finally finds his voice when he stops to stand directly in front of you. "I think this style is made for you Y/N."

Your eyes widen slightly and you feel the heat in your face rise. Pursing your lips, you drop your eyes down to the flowing dress. You long forgotten how sad you were earlier today after spending the remainder of the day with Kozume. 

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. "Is it alright if I take a few photos?" He speaks to the owner who nods her head. 

"Take as many as you want." She grins from ear to ear. 

Now you're blushing for another reason. 

You're quick to hide your face with your hands when you see Kozume raise the phone to his face. He doesn't hide the smile growing on his face when he sees you act shy. A low chuckle erupts from his throat and your attention is pulled away by the warm sound. 

"You're really cute Y/N." His light compliment makes you scrunch your nose. 

"J-Just hurry and take the pictures so I can have a reference." You weakly retort and he nods his head. Kozume quietly takes a few photos with a smile still resting on his face. While he reviews the photos, you hurry and change out of the dress. 

Kozume stares at the photos on his phone. 

_Y/N is definitely pretty, that's for sure._

He pinches his phone screen to zoom up on her face. A smile forms again on his face when he looks at her. It would be impossible for someone to not fall in love with Y/N if they saw her like this. 

Kozume pulls up his conversation with Kuroo. He attaches a few of the images to a text but his finger hovers over the send button. 

Originally part of the plan of this project is to help rekindle the two together. But the past two months that he's spent with Y/N sparks back a feeling he last felt ten years ago. 

Kuroo isn't the only one that lost time with Y/N. Kozume had too and it was out of his hands when Y/N dropped all contact with him. He never blamed her for it. Mostly because he figured she believed he would stand up for Kuroo no matter what. The two are close friends since elementary school. 

But what Y/N doesn't realize is...she's his best friend too. They may not speak and open up as much as he does with Kuroo. But the time they spent together is just as meaningful as the lack of conversations they'd share. The three became friends back in elementary and were always together even in high school. 

Even with the occurrence of his two best friends dating, they made sure he wasn't casted aside. He appreciated them for it. 

But he did feel guilty as he kept a secret from the two. A secret that could've possibly changed everyone's life if he had told them back then.

_The secret that..._

"Ready to go Kenma?" Y/N stands in front of him, adjusting her coat back on. She reaches for her purse that sits on Kozume's lap. Kozume stands up and slides his phone back into his pocket. 

"Yeah. Let's go." Kozume nods his head, speaking softly. The two say goodbye to the owner before heading out of the boutique. They quietly walk side by side. 

"Thanks for spending the day with me Kenma." Y/N breaks the silence. She exhales under her breath and smiles when she looks over to him. "I would've probably sulked at my apartment all day over Asahi." 

_Asahi?_

Her eyes widen when she realizes she's slipped up. Awkwardly giggling, she tucks her hair behind her ear and he notices how the tips are redden from embarrassment. He always found it cute that her ears would redden when she felt nervous or embarrassed. 

"I guess there's no point in hiding the reason why I was sad today." She speaks in a hushed whisper. The two arrive at her car and get in when she unlocks it. She turns the car on to warm it up from the cool fall evening. The cold weather will only get harsher as the days go by. 

"Asahi and I are going through an awkward part of our friendship." She speaks slowly as if to reaffirm herself. "He confessed his feelings for me not too long ago." 

Kozume freezes in his seat. The words coming out of Y/N's lips causes an unbearable unease. 

"It's a bit more one-sided." 

Kozume relaxes his shoulders that tensed up without his awareness. Hearing her say that gave him some ease. "It's understandable for things to be awkward if his feelings are one-sided." Kozume speaks up. 

Y/N nods her head, her eyes flickering and her lips parting ever so slightly. "That's not what made it awkward though." She shifts in her seat and turns to focus on Kozume. "Asahi asked if I wouldn't mind getting back together with Tetsurō when I drop my guard for him. Something about his question made me feel guilty."

Kozume gulps the saliva that builds up, the feeling of a desert forms in his throat. "What did you say?"

Y/N shakes her head, the corner of her lips turning into a frown. "How could I answer a question like that in front of someone who has feelings for me?"

Kozume nods his head slowly. She seems to want to say something else but she holds back. 

Seeing her like this makes him grow guilty of his original intentions about hiring her personally for his project.

_Kozume isn't any better._

He's basically setting up a scenario for his two friends to get back together. Something like this should happen naturally. He's just as wrong as Azumane for putting her in a spot like this. 

"Now I'm jealous when I see Asahi smiling and laughing with another girl. When I should be the last person to feel jealous. It's me who can't return his feelings. So the least I can do is be happy that he's talking to other girls, right?" Her voice cracks and Kozume grows alarmed when he sees a tear slide down Y/N's face.

She turns away to hide her face from him, wiping the tear that slipped past her defenses. "Sorry. I don't know what's gotten to me."

Kozume carefully puts a hand on her shoulder. "You're scared you'll lose him." He feels her tense beneath his palm. "A breakup between friends is just as heartbreaking as a relationship between two lovers. I speak from experience..." Kozume's words grow softer the more he speaks. He feels Y/N shift in her seat, turning back to look at him. 

The two share a wavering look at one another. 

"When you disappeared from me ten years ago." Kozume speaks up again. "It broke my heart Y/N."

_Because I loved you Y/N._

That's the secret he's kept to himself from the two people he cared most for.

A forbidden love for his best friends girlfriend who's also his best friend too. 

Love seems to work in an odd way.


	13. This time, for sure.

"I..." Your words fail you when you see the pained expression on Kozume's face. The very thought crossed your mind earlier today. But hearing him say it aloud hits much differently. You forget Kozume's hand that rests on your shoulder until he squeezes it. 

His brows knit together and now he wears a scowl. Seeing Kozume angry happens less often the older he got and you brace yourself for his next word. 

"Can you imagine how upset and thrown off I was when you erased yourself entirely out of my life without any explanation? The feeling I went through when Kuroo simply stated that the two of you are no longer together. The emptiness I felt when I didn't have answers to my questions to what happened between you two." Kozume spits out word after word in a fluid tone. 

"The uneasiness I carried after years of being kept in the dark. Until one day I received a letter from you out of the blue. I was in a state of shock when I saw your handwriting and only more stunned when I read the contents in it." His rough speech softens up and you watch him pull his hand back to his side. He lowers his head, his hair falling over his face. 

"After ten years, our reunion was at a funeral home. Reunited by an emotional and vulnerable event." Kozume speaks slowly and you feel your chest tighten. 

You were too wrapped up on how hurt you were because of Kuroo and it never crossed your mind what Kozume must've went through. 

For you, Kuroo is painted as the villain but you're just as bad of a villain for Kozume. Apologizes wouldn't mend the pain that you put Kozume through. Time for the two of you were also lost. 

"Sorry. You were talking about your troubles and I just went on a tangent about myself." Kozume raises his head to look at you. His eyes widen and his breath hitches when Y/N leans over to wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him. Her breath tickles his neck when she speaks. 

"I was too self focused about my sadness and was blinded to my actions I created. I know apologies are useless to the amount of pain I caused you Kenma. But I genuinely want you to know that I'm sorry." 

Kozume tries to process everything Y/N is saying but his mind grows blank. He's unable to focus on anything but the smell of her floral perfume and the warmth she wraps him in. His shaky hands slowly stretch out to return her hug. 

Closing his eyes, Kozume turns his head slightly to speak by her ear in a hushed whisper. "Just don't do that again. If Kuroo upsets you, tell me. There's no other person besides you and I who could set him in his place." 

"Can you tell him to stop forcing his way back into my life then? It's starting to look pathetic." You lightheartedly giggle as you pull yourself away from Kozume. Kozume unwillingly pulls away and nods silently to your words. His phone then vibrates in his pocket and you buckle your seatbelt while he answers the phone.

"Speak of the devil." Kozume mutters, eyeing the caller ID. He raises the phone by his ear, "Kuroo." 

"Hey Kenma! Are you free tonight? I need to destress. I was thinking maybe a few shot glasses of soju and barbeque?" You hear Kuroo's loud voice from Kozume's phone. He does indeed sound stressed and you wonder if it has something to do with his work. 

The thought makes you wonder what Kuroo actually does for a living to live in such a high-roller building. You never bothered to ask or look him up on social media. 

Kozume sneaks a glance at your distracted face. "Um...I'm out right now actually." 

"With who? Are they more important than me? Your best friend who needs a shoulder to lean on?" Kuroo playfully speaks, a chuckle erupting from his throat. Kozume rolls his eyes with a small smile. He notices Y/N shake her head, the corner of her lips forming into a smile. 

"He's an idiot." She whispers, holding back her laughter.

"Yeah. She's important." Kozume answers bluntly. You turn to look at Kozume with widen eyes. Kuroo sounds just as surprised on the phone. 

"WOAH?! SHE?! Since when have you gone out with a girl? I literally spoke to you yesterday and there was never a conversation about a girl." Kuroo's words are a slur and it nearly sounds as if he's rapping. 

Kozume scoffs. "How many girls do you think I know?"

"Well, is it a coworker? A supporter from your stream? Uh." Kuroo's thought process cuts short when he slows his car down at a traffic light. "No...it has to be someone close if they're letting you talk to me this long. At least I know it's not a date." Kuroo goes off on a tangent and both Kozume and you exhale. 

"There's no way you're with Y/N, right?" 

"Yeah."

Kuroo quietly sulks to himself. His shoulders droop and he grows quiet. "How is she? Does she look like she's gotten plenty of rest? I hope she hasn't skipped her meals because of work." 

You hear Kuroo speak in a much softer tone. Hearing him ask these questions easily pulls your heartstrings. You purse your lips in response, casting your eyes out towards the driver window. Kozume carefully gazes at Y/N. He notices her face fall slightly from Kuroo's concern. 

"You can ask her personally if you want. Tell me the address of the restaurant and we'll meet you there." Kozume ends the call before he can hear either of you retort. Your eyes flick over to Kozume. 

"We're going to meet up with Tetsurō? But..." You want to protest but Kozume's already punching in the address on his GPS that Kuroo's texted over. 

"We've been looking at wedding dresses all day without a break. You can't tell me you're not hungry Y/N. You wouldn't turn down a free meal, would you?" Kozume raises his eyes away from his phone with a playful smirk. 

You clench your teeth, flaring your nostrils out and casting your eyes elsewhere. "No." You curtly respond and begin to drive.

Kozume quietly chuckles to himself from Y/N's response.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

After parking your car and walking into the barbeque restaurant, you follow behind Kozume. The two of you find Kuroo sitting on the left side of the restaurant, downing a shot glass of soju alone. 

"Already drinking?" Kozume speaks up when he reaches closer to the table. Kuroo weakly laughs and nods his head. He points to the seats in front of him, ushering for the two to sit down. Kozume quietly suggests you to sit in the seat that's by the wall. The seat directly sits across from Kuroo. You notice his nervous behavior when you sit down. 

"So...what have you two been up to today?" Kuroo attempts small talk while you take off your coat to rest it on the back of your chair. Kozume looks over the menu, parting his lips to answer Kuroo. "We went into a few wedding dress shops to help Y/N find inspiration." 

"Oh?" Kuroo casts his eyes over to you. "Did you find any?" 

Hesitant to meet his eyes, you nod. "Kenma picked out a dress at the last shop." You return his small talk with an answer. He's not as pushy with his approach to talk to you today. You wonder if Kuroo got the hint that his approach wasn't the right way to go. He never kept his word when he exclaimed to you the night you were at his place that he would show up on a daily basis.

Kozume extends his phone over to Kuroo to show him the pictures of Y/N in the wedding dress. You anticipate Kuroo's reaction. Your anxiety at it's high and you hated the feeling. It didn't matter what Kuroo thinks of you in the dress. But your emotions say otherwise. 

"Oh wow." Kuroo's voice is barely a whisper. His eyes light up and a smile etches on his face. He pinches the screen to zoom up on Y/N's face, a chuckle escaping from him. "You look so cute blushing like this." His words are sweet and familiar. 

You try to not let them affect you too much but your heart reacts to his words. 

Kuroo returns Kozume's phone back to him when a server returns to ask what the table would like to order. After discussing which cut of meat you'd all like to share, Kozume asks Kuroo about his day. "So, what's gotten you depressed?" 

Kuroo pours a shot glass of soju for both you and Kozume. The three of you clink your glasses together, taking the shot in unison. You cringe from the alcohol that burns down your throat, warming up your body. 

"The finances for next years volleyball championship isn't being agreed on and the money being divided isn't being evenly split up. The older associates are hoarding the money towards other unnecessary funding." You listen to Kuroo speak seriously about his work. You've never heard him sound more responsible than now. The serious expression on his face pulls out a masculinity charm that you never saw before. 

You've only seen him look slightly like this when he sees a challenge during volleyball matches back in the earlier years. He loved challenges that would make him think out of the box or test his skill. Despite his laid-back personality, he's extremely smart and observant. 

Seeing this side of him makes you see the difference of him now and back then. You've tuned out of the conversation as the two speak to one another. You quietly sip on the glass of water the server brought out after putting in your orders.

The two discuss about business while you're lost in your own thoughts. Today's been one hell of a day for you. 

From being depressed over Azumane, to feeling guilty and unaware of your actions you've caused on Kenma, to casually spending dinner with the two people you cut ties off with years ago.

"Sorry, I don't mean to exclude you from the conversation Y/N." Kuroo speaks up when he notices you staring blankly at your glass of water. You snap out of your thoughts to look at him. 

"No, it's okay. You originally called to hang out with Kenma anyway." The two of you make eye contact. His apologetic expression turns into a small smile. "It's a nice surprise to see you join us though. I don't feel as depressed as I was moments earlier. So, thank you for coming along." 

"She wouldn't decline free food anyway." Kozume comments. You're quick to glare at Kozume who wears a smile, a chuckle slipping past him. 

"Kenma!" Your brows furrow together and you shove him slightly. Kuroo eyes the two, joining Kozume in laughter. You roll your eyes at the two who laugh at you. "No ones going to decline free food." You mutter under your breath. 

The two subside their laughter when the server returns with thin slices of steak for the table to cook. They turn on the fire underneath the table and give the three of you instructions on how to cook the meat before leaving. 

Kuroo grabs the prongs the servers left on an empty plate and starts to lay the meat on the grill after Kozume's lathered it with oil. The beautiful sound of a sizzle sings in your ears.

"Did you want to invite Asahi? I know he's a good friend of yours, right?" Kuroo speaks casually and Kozume visibly tenses up beside you. Kuroo slowly raises his eyes away from the meat on the grill to look at you. 

You shake your head. "He's busy with projects with Kimiko. I'm sure the two are still at the office right now." 

"Kimiko?" Kuroo raises an eyebrow. 

"She's an intern of mine. My boss thrusted my current projects over to her after Kenma offered his project." Your eyes slowly cast over to Kozume who avoids your gaze. He silently takes another shot to avoid discussion. "Asahi kindly offered to help her with the projects. So, they've grown close because of it." You feel yourself grow sad again. A frown itching to plaster on your face. 

Kuroo notices Y/N's expression fall when she talks about Azumane. Realizing that the mention of Azumane is a touchy subject, Kuroo steers the conversation away. "How do you like your meat cooked?" 

Thrown off from the random question, you stare at the meat on the grill. "Medium-rare is perfect." 

Kuroo smiles when Y/N answers him without hesitation. He nods and flips the meat over to grill on the other side. "One medium rare steak for the cutie. What about you pudding head?" Kozume sits up straight when he's being spoken to. "I'd like the same." 

"Alright. So three medium rare steaks coming right up." 

The reasoning the three of you are here is because Kuroo felt stressed out and had to vent. Yet, he's here cheering you up. Today is an eyeopener for you and you learn to not focus on yourself but be aware of others you've hurt. You also learn that you need to be honest with your emotions and that people can change. 

"Tetsurō." You break the silence with a timid voice. Kuroo looks away from the meat to pay attention to you. Kozume quietly grabs the prongs away from Kuroo, not wanting the meat to rest too long on the grill. 

"Yeah?" Kuroo stares at you with gentle eyes, his head tilting slightly. Gulping and pursing your lips, you break eye contact for a split second. You clench your hands into fists under the table. "I...want to apologize for the way I've treated you since the start of us reuniting."

You pause before inhaling sharply. "I just had so much pent up anger for your actions in the past. Seeing you again infuriated me and I chose to act coldly instead of confronting you with how much you've hurt me. We could've had a serious conversation and sort out our emotions in a mature way. But I decided to react childishly."

Kuroo listens to Y/N intently, not interjecting until he knows she's completely finished. 

"It's alright. I don't blame you for reacting like that. I also want to apologize for being so straight forward and aggressive with my approach in us rekindling our lost time. I shouldn't force you to open up if you don't want to." The two stare at one another in understanding. You feel the weight lift off of your chest. "We can always have that conversation whenever you want. I'm not going to yell and run away this time." 

Your eyes begin to waver from his words. His serious gaze doesn't have a trace of a lie behind them. Kozume clears his throat to get your attention. He blows on a small piece of steak he's cut up before pressing it to your lips. 

"Since we're all being honest and opening up...there's something I want to say too." 

You part your lips slightly to eat the steak being pushed against your lips. 

"I partially did use the project as an excuse for you and Kuroo to see each other often. Sorry for lying to you when you asked me so straightforwardly if I had those intentions." Kozume lowers his head to apologize. He couldn't tell these two his other secret. The secret about his feelings for Y/N. Kozume wasn't brave enough to declare them.

"I figured that out already Kenma. But I'm glad you're being honest with me about it now." You smile at Kozume when he raises his head up to look at you. Kuroo releases a dragged out exhale. 

"Is there anything else we all want to get off our chest tonight?" Kuroo divvies up the steak on everyone's plate before eating a piece.

You stare at the two, shaking your head. Kozume also shakes his head slowly. 

The night ends on a lighter note as the three converse about anything and everything. Most of the conversations pertaining about the lost time among the three. 

You're full of warmth from the food, alcohol, and the time you're spending with your friends. 

Spending a night like this with these two sparks back the happier days of your youth and it makes you hopeful to know that this will be a moment you can create more of if you allow yourself to drop your defenses. 

You've told yourself several times you would give Kuroo a chance. But you chickened out because of fear.

But this time, you're serious. 

_What's the point in pushing him away if you find yourself walking in the same path._


	14. Phone call

"Mr. Kozume, what do you think about the progression in this section of the story so far?" One of the writers call out to Kozume from one section of the office. Kozume excuses himself from the digital artist team to attend to the writer. He walks from one end of the office to the other.

Kozume's rented an empty office for a year for the development of his videogame. This way everyone who's working on the game has a set location to meet up and work together. Originally the plan was for everyone to work from home but Kozume feared procrastination would grow over time. 

His eyes glance at a computer screen full of dialogue. 

September is long gone and October is now here. Time seems to move quickly but so has the development of the game. Despite it not being the first person fighter game he dreamed of, he's still putting 100% into this game. As cheesy as the game is. 

It still baffles him that he's publishing a dating simulator. 

"Do I really act like this?" Kozume points to the dialogue where he doesn't hear the player because his entire focus is on a video game. "I feel like I would notice the player." 

"Well, this is just the second half of the game where the two of you aren't as close yet." The writer consoles Kozume. "You'll notice their presence later on." 

Kozume's lip forms a fine line. He tries to recall old memories of when he first met Kuroo and Y/N. Maybe there was a time where he would accidentally ignore the two while he was engrossed in video games. Now that he thinks about it, he's positive it happened before. 

"Mr. Kozume!" The digital artist group calls out to him and he excuses himself from the writer to walk back over to them. Kozume continues to go back and forth around the office to aid his development team throughout the day. 

His stamina lately hasn't been the greatest from the lack of sleep but he pushes through. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

You've been cooped up inside your house ever since the materials for Kozume's suit arrived at the office two days ago. Your boss doesn't question your absence in the office and you only assume it's because of the project you're working on. Whatever amount Kozume promised your boss must've been a pretty penny if you could work from home. 

With your mind too focused on work, you hardly astray to the thoughts of Azumane. This is probably the longest time the two of you haven't spoken to one another. Eventually the two of you would have to speak again. You didn't like this uncomfortable situation in your friendship. On the other hand, you also have to speak to Kuroo. 

You stop the sewing machine the moment your mind grows heavy. Standing up from your seat, you stretch and exhale. You walk over to your fridge to grab a drink but stop when you look at the calendar beside it.

A red circle is drawn on the calendar. 

'October 16th. Kenma's 28th birthday. 🥳'

You stare at todays date. 

_October 10th._

"Shit." You mutter out into your empty apartment. Now you're worried over something else. 

_What gift would Kozume like?_

The man is rich and could probably buy whatever he wanted. 

Nibbling your bottom lip, you walk over to your sewing machine to grab the phone that sits beside it. 

Your thumb hovers over Kuroo's contact. 

Logically, Kuroo is the only person you can contact about a situation like this. But you grow nervous at the thought of contacting him. 

You went from hating him to fearing him to pure nervousness. You hate how emotional you've gotten ever since he walked back into your life.

_But, this is for Kozume._

You missed his other birthdays and you'll be damn to miss this one too. Inhaling sharply, you close your eyes and tap the call button. The way your heart beats against your chest and the deathly sound of the call dialing causes your anxiety to sky rocket. You silently prayed he doesn't pick up but at the same time, you needed his advice. 

The call is answered after the third ring. "Y-Y/N?" Kuroo's voice sounds surprised and out of breath. He pants heavily between his words. 

"Um...did I call at a bad time?" Your mind thinks of the worst possible scenario. Your hand covers your redden face and you curse your imagination. 

"No, not at all. I'm just surprised you called. Took you...almost three months?" Kuroo ruffles his hair and slows his pace down. The sweat causes his hair to stick to the sides of his face. 

"Out of curiosity, what are you doing?" You weakly ask the question, clenching your teeth. 

"I'm just exercising on my treadmill. Why?" 

"Oh." Your wild imagination comes to a halt and you reel it back into reality. Clearing your throat, you feel your face heat up. "You just sound...really out of breath and startled earlier. I thought I called you while you were having se-"

"WAIT." Kuroo stops his treadmill. A wide grin on his face when he realizes what Y/N plans to say. He chuckles wholeheartedly at the thought. Extending his hand, he grabs the hand towel off of the treadmill arm to wipe the sweat from his face. "You really think I would answer a phone call while I'm making love to someone? That's a bit risky don't you think?"

"C-Can we not talk about this." You stammer your words out, pinching the bridge of your nose. 

"No, let's talk. This is an interesting topic and I'm too distracted by it now." Kuroo smiles to himself. He walks over to his fridge to grab a bottle of water to rehydrate his thirst. 

"Tetsurō." Hearing Y/N's stern tone only makes him want to tease her more. 

"Fine. I'll drop it. But just to ease your mind, I wouldn't pick up a phone call in the middle of sex." Kuroo hears Y/N sigh loudly on the other end of the call. He snickers to himself and quietly drinks his water. 

"Anyway." You clear your throat, the redness in your face not leaving. "Kenma's birthday is coming up. I don't know what to get him." 

"Easy. Just buy him merchandise of whatever his current favorite game is." 

"What's his favorite game right now?" You raise an eyebrow, sitting down on your sofa with your laptop on your lap. 

"Um..." Kuroo is in deep thought. He licks his lips and clicks his tongue. "Actually, I have no idea."

"You're no help."

"Hey! You're also his best friend Y/N. Shouldn't you know what to get him?"

"If I did I wouldn't call you Tetsurō." The two of you bicker back and forth. This kind of bickering is familiar and nostalgic. You each smile with your phones pressed closer to your ears. 

"Should we go window shopping? Maybe that will help us with ideas. You're free right now, right?" Kuroo sets his water bottle down, eyeing the clock on his wall. 

The time is 2:35PM.

"I just need to take a quick shower and I'll head over to your place to pick you up." Kuroo makes his way over to his bedroom. 

"Is this your way to find out my address?" 

Kuroo clicks his tongue and dramatically says, "No. Of course not. Why would I purposely scheme this entire plan up to just get your address?" He breaks out of his dramatic character when he laughs. "Do you want to meet me here instead? Since you know where I live already." 

"No, it's fine. I'll text you the address." You get up from the sofa after placing your laptop back on the coffee table. 

"Alright. It's a date." Kuroo smirks when he answers playfully. 

"It's not." You correct him, stifling a laughter. 

He ruffles his hair and shrugs. "I thought I would try at least." He dryly chuckles and enters his bathroom with a change of clothes. "I'll see you in a bit Y/N." 

"Okay. See you Tetsurō." Y/N's soft tone makes his heart flutter. He lowers his eyes to the tile beneath his feet and smiles, not wanting to end the call. 

"Are you going to hang up first?" She also seems hesitant to end the phone call.

"No. You." Kuroo retorts.

He hears her faintly giggle and he wishes he could see her facial expression. This single phone call alone brings back so much nostalgia and happiness. 

"You know I hate ending phone calls first." You stare at the ceiling above you. Kuroo responds in a deep low tone. His voice sending chills down your spine. "I know. I guess I'll hang up like old times." You can hear the smile in Kuroo's voice before he hangs up. 

With the call ending, you let out a sigh of relief. The call wasn't unbearable and nerve wracking like you thought. It was the opposite actually. 

You enjoyed the conversation with Kuroo and didn't want it to end.


	15. A sign of growth

You feel uncomfortable the moment you sit inside Kuroo's car. It seems like everyone's attention is on you when they hear and see the corvette that you're sitting inside of. 

"Do you...not have a regular car?" You mutter over to Kuroo who's not aware of all the attention he's receiving from the onlookers outside. 

"Regular car? What's wrong with this one?" Kuroo takes off his sunglasses to look at you directly. You narrow your eyes on him. 

"Do you not notice the attention you're getting from this car? I feel nervous from the stares." You sink lower into your seat which makes Kuroo chuckle. He shrugs and turns his attention back forward. 

"I get used to it eventually. Just focus on Kenma's birthday gift. Do you have a general idea of what to get him or...?" Kuroo tries to distract your mind from the stares. You ponder on his question.

"I feel like I should make him something. The two of you make enough money to get whatever you want. So I feel like I shouldn't take a chance on purchasing something he might already have." You look over at Kuroo who nods his head. 

"I'm sure your presence is already a gift he'd appreciate." Kuroo looks at you from the corner of his eye, a smile on his lips. You're quick to look away from him. A heat slowly creeping on your face from his words. 

"I doubt it." You speak under your breath. "What are you getting him for his birthday Tetsurō?" You change the topic away from yourself and Kuroo shrugs.

"Probably an action figure or something along those lines. He wouldn't decline a gift like that. Even if he does happen to have the same model." 

You nod your head, still pondering on what exactly to make for Kozume. An idea pops into your mind but you wonder if the idea is too childish. "Hey, could we go to an arts and crafts store?" You glance at Kuroo who looks at you curiously. He slows the car down at a red light. 

"Sure. Figured out what to make him?" A smile forms on Kuroo's face when he sees the way Y/N's eyes light up. 

"It's probably a bit childish but...I'm pretty sure Kenma would appreciate it more than most 28 year old's." 

"What is it?" 

You shyly tuck your hair behind your ear and whisper, "Don't laugh. I want to make him a bead bracelet with his name on it." 

Kuroo purses his lips to stifle his laughter. 

"Maybe I should make him an apple pie for his birthday too. That's still his favorite dessert, right?" You're engrossed on the thought of Kozume's present that you grow startled from the warm smile Kuroo wears. He hovers a hand over his mouth while he drives, trying his best to not laugh. 

Your heart skips from his adorable expression. Snapping out of your thoughts, you furrow your brows. "Are you making fun of my gift idea?" 

"I-I mean." Kuroo chokes between his laughter. "It's a cute gift idea. I'm sure he'll love it like you said. Let's throw him a surprise party too. I have access to his place." 

You grow curious.

_Does Kozume also live in a skyscraper building like Kuroo or does he live in a house?_

"Where does Kenma live anyway?" You ask Kuroo who turns the corner of the street. He pulls up to a parking garage. 

"Curious about his address now?" Kuroo smirks when he glances over to you. You hold back the eye roll and shrug. "I'm just wondering if he's living humbly or flashy like a certain someone." Kuroo snickers and searches for a parking spot. 

"He lives more humbly than I do. He bought a house in the same neighborhood we all grew up in." Kuroo answers your question. He then reverses the car into a parking spot and turns the engine off. "It'll be hard to avoid our parents when we throw his surprise party. We should probably call them up in advance to let them know about it."

"Sounds like a good idea. I'm sure our parents would love a good reason to get together to drink alcohol and eat." Your chest warms at the thought of Kozume's birthday party. The two of you exit the car and make your way out of the parking garage and onto the street lined up with different storefronts. 

Kuroo looks a bit conflicted when he walks beside Y/N in silence. He wears a look of wanting to say something but he's hesitating.

You can sense his troubles and decide to ask him about it. "Something on your mind Tetsurō?" 

He looks surprised when you catch him off guard. His slender fingers scratch at his head. "About our conversation at the restaurant that one time..." 

"About Asahi or about the talk we should have?" You slow your pace down to look at Kuroo. He stops on the side of the pathway to let others walk past. 

"Both." Kuroo looks down at your face. "I'd like for us to sit down and talk about everything. I wouldn't feel settled if we casually hang out like this and ignore our past troubles. I'm ready to own up to all the pain I've put you through." 

Hearing his strong devotion to sitting down and talking makes your heart waver. You find another proof of his growth over the years. It's pretty attractive when he's serious like this. 

Cutting your thoughts off, you nod your head. "Alright. What about tonight? After we pick up Kenma's gifts we can talk at your place or at mine." 

Kuroo brightens when you agree. He flashes a smile and the troubled expression he wore earlier disappears. "We can talk at mine. I want to share the beautiful sunset view with you. It's truly breathtaking."

"Okay. We should quickly do our shopping then." You form a small smile of your own. Kuroo practically sprints off to find an art store and you're forced to chase after him. "TETSURŌ, WE DON'T NEED TO RUN."

"YES WE DO!" Kuroo shouts out in front of you. Exhaling with a smile on your face, you pick up your pace to follow him. Thankfully, today you're in a pair of sneakers.


	16. I missed you

"Don't worry about the bags, I'll get it." Kuroo seems to be in a rush when you notice the change of colors in the sky. He calls out to you from the front of the building and you grow confused on how quickly he went from his car to passing you without your awareness.

Pulling your eyes away from the sky, you follow him inside. He speaks to the security guard and the elevator doors part open. Just the simple act of the elevator automatically opening from this far of a distance still surprises you. 

"This sight must really be beautiful if it's making you rush this much." You stare at Kuroo who looks antsy in his spot. You're reminded of a dog being excited to go outside. It doesn't help that Kuroo himself adores dogs.

"It really is. I can't get enough of it every time I see it." Kuroo flashes a smile towards you.

The elevator doors part open and Kuroo reaches into his pocket for his keys. He lets you step inside first before he follows after you. 

Taking your sneakers off, you walk over to the living room. With so much glass surrounding you, you would've felt bothered if people could see you. But the floor you're on is much too high for anyone to see inside.

_Unless you're in a helicopter._

You doubt Kuroo would do anything indecent out in the open for the world to see anyway. 

You turn your eyes away from the tall buildings to see an open space where the sun is seen slowly setting. The beautiful warm colors of orange, yellow, and pink shower the space. The only time you've seen such a beautiful sunset at this height was on a hill with Azumane during your random drives. 

The view is breathtaking and it tugs a smile on your face. Kuroo joins your side when he settles the handful of bags down on the dining table. "Beautiful, right? It's nice to stop once in awhile and take in nature." 

You nod your head to Kuroo's words. 

He averts his eyes down to Y/N. The smile on her face causes his heart to ache and he wants nothing more than to hug her under the sunset glow. But he holds his urges back. She's just slowly letting him back in and he doesn't want to scare her off by being touchy all of a sudden. 

Kuroo quietly walks away and heads into the kitchen to get some snacks, wine, and two wine glasses for the two. 

You raise your phone up to your face to capture a few photos before posting it on your social media. 

_'I was shared a beautiful sight today._ 🌆 _'_

You hear the soft pop of a wine bottle behind you and you turn around to see Kuroo setting the coffee table with wine and snacks. Looking at the sunset one more time, you join Kuroo on the sofa. He extends a glass of red wine and you quietly accept his offer. 

The two of you silently swirl your wine before taking a sip. 

"You must love coming home every day with a sight like that." You're the one to speak up first. 

Kuroo nods his head, turning around to look at the view. "It definitely helps relieve my stress at times." 

You lower your wine glass and stare at the space you're in. It's beautifully decorated but it definitely doesn't give you the vibe that this place belonged to Kuroo. There's not a single personal touch making it seem like he lived here. 

"Do you not have any photos of your family to hang up?" You curiously ask Kuroo who follows your gaze. 

"Not really. I should probably ask my mom for a few." Kuroo sets his glass down beside yours. "Do you have photos at your apartment?" 

Nodding your head, you return your attention on Kuroo. He wears a gentle smile and warm eyes when he looks at you. "There's a photo of you at my place with your face scribbled out too." You joke and Kuroo scrunches his face in response. 

"You hated me that much, huh?" 

The two of you burst into laughter and silence follows after. 

"I'm joking. I didn't have that much hate in me to do that." You then mutter the next sentence under your breath, running your fingers through your hair. "You looked too cute for me to mess it up with sharpie." 

"Thanks." Kuroo whispers beside you. A comfortable silence fills the lack of conversation. Neither of you know where to start.

_Do you talk about your horrible breakup first? Or the questions Kuroo had about Azumane?_

Both of you purse your lips, looking elsewhere. 

"I missed you." Your words tremble out of your throat. Kuroo paralyzes in his spot when he looks at Y/N with wide eyes. You keep your eyes down to your lap. 

"The first few months were my darkest months. I didn't know what to do without you around and I had no one to cry out to besides grandfather. At the time I also pushed Kenma out without being aware of my actions. I figured he was more your friend than mine and I believed that he would stick up for you more than he would for me." 

Kuroo knits his brows together. He wants to interject but he allows Y/N to finish what she has to say before he comments on anything.

"I wondered constantly what I should've said or done for you to not leave me. But I had no answers to those questions. You already left and that was that. Eventually I told myself that maybe it wasn't completely my fault. A relationship is between two people. Not one." You then raise your eyes to look at Kuroo. He looks ashamed and upset at himself. 

"I fought for us but you weren't willing to. Could you tell me why? Why did you decide to run instead? I was ready and committed to take the world on with you Tetsurō." Your brows furrow and a frown etches onto your face. 

Kuroo shamefully looks away. He thinks of his words before looking at you directly. His attention is solely on you and you alone. "I was a coward Y/N." His words are serious and blunt. Kuroo doesn't sugar coat his reasoning. "I was afraid of what we had. It seemed too perfect and I feared that I would somehow mess it up. I stressed myself into wondering if I'm really the one for you. Would I be able to give you the future you want? Would I be able to consistently bring you joy?" Kuroo scrunches his face together. 

You watch him ball his hands into fists. "What if things changed between us when we attend different universities? What if we fell out of love because of the distance? There were too many 'what if's' and 'would I's'. And not enough 'no, we can handle this. I can handle this'. I didn't have the confidence in our relationship. I was too immature and afraid of a serious commitment." 

Y/N intently listens to him pour out his emotions. She doesn't cut him off and waits for him to conclude his thought process.

"But now." Kuroo dryly scoffs. "That's all I want now. I want something serious. I want someone by my side when I wake up. I want to hear someone say they love me. I want to take on the world with someone by my side. I crave the attention of being loved and cared for. I'm also ready to get married and grow old with the person I love." He pauses to collect his thoughts. "It's the very thing I ran away from that you showered me on a daily basis." His jaw tightens up and he forces his eyes shut. 

You couldn't bare to see the expression he's making. The pained look of regret makes you feel hurt.

"And I might not get that chance anymore." Kuroo trembles out his words. He stares at his balled up hands, biting down on his bottom lip. "At least not with the person I want that life with." 

Your heart tightens when you listen to Kuroo. He doesn't meet your eyes when he says this.

_Is it wrong to assume he's talking about you?_

"I made a huge mistake and I doubt I'll be forgiven and taken back like nothings happened at all." Kuroo slowly raises his hazel eyes towards you. "Because there's someone else who's replaced me during my ten years away from you." 

You stare at Kuroo in silence, a blank expression painting on your face. 

"Asahi seems like a really nice guy. The way he takes care of you and showers you with attention. You two even have similar interests and follow the same career path. He's also handsome." Kuroo leans back on the sofa, his eyes now staring at the ceiling. "What can't he do?" A sigh escapes from Kuroo's lips and you watch the corner of his lips turn into a frown. 

Neither of you speak up. 

_What should you say at a time like this?_

The person he wants to be serious with...is **you**. But you're unsure if you're ready to get back together. The two of you have just started talking again. Rushing back into a relationship may cause problems instead of solutions.

_What if Kuroo only feels this way because his life is slipping away from him?_

You, yourself, are unsure where your heart is at with Kuroo. Of course your heart reacts to him.

_But is it because the two of you were ex-lovers? Or maybe, you just never moved on from him at all?_

These questions will have to be answered with patience. 

But you can tell him one thing for sure. 

"Asahi can't waver my heart." You speak hesitantly towards Kuroo. His stiff shoulders relax and he tears his eyes away from the ceiling to look at you.

"What?" Kuroo squeaks out his words. You purse your lips and repeat yourself again. "My heart. It doesn't waver for him. He may be perfect but he's not the one my heart wants." 

Kuroo visibly relaxes when he hears Y/N's words. He didn't realize how tense his muscles gotten until now. Hearing this gives him hope. A hope of gaining a second chance to prove he's a man Y/N could lean on again. 

With the conversation seemingly coming to an end, you stand up and walk over to the dining table. Kuroo follows you with his eyes in silence. "What are you doing?"

"Making Kenma his bracelet." You answer curtly. Reaching in the bags, you pull out the materials and seat yourself in one of the dining room chairs. 

"Can you make me one too?" Kuroo stands up from the sofa and grabs both of the wine glasses before walking over to join you at the table. 

"It won't be special if you have one too." You glance at Kuroo who sits across from you. He sets the wine glasses down on the table and ruffles through the bag to grab out the different colored beads. 

"I can make you one too. All three of us can have best friend bracelets." He smiles at his own idea and you can only snicker in response. 

"I guess that's not a bad idea." You give in to Kuroo's suggestion and he happily grins in response. The two of you make small talk while working together on your matching bracelets.

Spending the night like this with Kuroo and sharing that conversation together did relieve a lot of your stress. 

"I forgot to mention this." Kuroo speaks up after a moment of silence. "Kenma sees you as his best friend too. He wouldn't have chosen any side if we were to tell him what happened between us. Or maybe he would've. That side would definitely be yours though." A small smile forms on Kuroo's lips. 

"How would you know?" You ask while rearranging the colored beads in front of you. 

"Because he loves you just as much as I love you." 

You scoff at the thought. "Yeah right. You two were obviously closer than I was with him. How would he love me?" 

Kuroo shrugs and lightheartedly chuckles. "Maybe, I guess you're right. Also, did you just brush my I love you off like it was nothing?" 

Playfully rolling your eyes, you choose not to answer him. 


	17. Happy birthday Kenma

𝒪𝒸𝓉𝑜𝒷𝑒𝓇 𝟣𝟨𝓉𝒽

"Mr. Kozume? What are you doing here still? Shouldn't you go out to celebrate your birthday?" One of Kozume's game developers calls out to him from his desk. Kozume glances over at the time. It's already nearing 6PM. 

He removes the glasses off of his face and pinches his nose bridge. 

To be honest, he forgot it was his birthday until he walked into the office with a surprise from his team. Kuroo and Y/N have been oddly quiet. Neither have messaged him a happy birthday but he only assumes that the two are busy with their work. 

Turning off his computer, he grabs his phone off his desk and says his goodbyes to his team. A yawn escapes from him when he rides the elevator down to the parking garage. The days have bled together and the lack of sleep is definitely crashing on Kozume.

He lets out a stifled groan when he fishes for his car keys out of his pocket. The moment Kozume sits in the driver seat, he feels a buzz in his pocket. It's a phone call from Kuroo. 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIRTHDAY BOY!" Kuroo's loud voice rings out and Kozume pulls his phone away from his ear from Kuroo's booming voice. 

"Thanks." Kozume tiredly replies.

"What's wrong? You sound horrible. Have you not been sleeping?" 

"Somewhat. I also thought you forgot it was my birthday but I guess I was wrong about that." Kozume switches the call over into his Bluetooth. He then pulls out of his parking spot. 

"How could I forget your birthday? Sorry it took me so long to tell you. Works been busy. But now I am all yours. Go home and get dressed. We're partying till midnight." Kuroo lets a warmhearted chuckle, a grin on his face.

The thought of partying out so late makes Kozume shiver. That's the last thing he wants to do right now. He'd prefer the two to just stay inside and order pizza and beers. "Could I take a rain check on the partying? Let's just stay in."

"Fine...I can't tell the birthday boy no. I'll swing by after I change then. See you later."

"Ah, wait." Kozume quickly stops Kuroo from hanging up. 

"What's up?" 

"Y/N. Has she texted you today? We should invite her too." 

A silence is met on Kuroo's end. He exhales with a smile on his face. "Why don't you call her? She'd only tell me no if I were to ask. She'll probably think I'm using you as an excuse to see her." 

Kozume's lips turn into a fine line. He grips his steering wheel tightly and nods his head. "Alright. See you later then." 

"Yeah, see you!" Kuroo ends the call and Kozume's left in his thoughts. He wonders if Y/N would decline if he were to ask her personally. Kozume wouldn't want to exclude her out on a day like today. 

_Would it be childish if he used the 'it's my birthday' card on her?_

He groans at the childish thought. If she declined, he shouldn't let it get to him. She's a busy woman after all. 

Chewing his bottom lip, Kozume stops at a red light. He reaches for his phone, thumb hovering over her contact. Anxiety fills his entire body and it paralyzes him from calling her. Forcing his eyes shut, he lowers his phone back down. 

He'll try again after the next red light. 

_Or that's what he told himself anyway._

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

To his surprise, Kozume sees Kuroo waiting outside in his car out front of the driveway. Kozume pulls up beside him and turns his engine off. Stepping out of the car, Kozume looks at Kuroo with a raised eyebrow. 

"How did you get here so fast?" 

"I was actually already on my way here when I called you." Kuroo grins mischievously. "Since you want to stay in, should we invite your parents over? I'm sure they'd like to spend the remainder of your birthday with you."

"No, they're probably tired from their work today. I can always celebrate tomorrow with them." Kozume locks his car and quietly walks up to the front door. Kuroo shrugs and follows behind him. "Did you ever call Y/N?" 

Kozume shakes his head. He inserts his house key in the lock but finds it already unlocked. Knitting his brows together, he grows anxious.

_Did he leave his door unlock all day?_

The neighborhood isn't one with many burglaries so he shouldn't stress as much but he clearly remembers locking it this morning.

"Something wrong with the door? Did you forget how to use your keys?" Kuroo pokes fun of Kozume. Kozume blankly stares at Kuroo, shaking his head. He pushes his nervous thoughts aside and opens the door. He flicks on the light and a loud unison shout of 'surprise' takes him off guard. 

With eyes wide and his heart shaken up, the color in his face pales over. 

Several familiar faces stand in front of him with poppers and balloons.

Y/N stands at the front foyer with an apple pie and the number 28 candle inserted in the middle. "Happy birthday Kenma." She wears a delicate smile and it's impossible for his heart not to waver in response. 

"Make a wish Kenma." His parents egg him on as they watch from the island counter. Kuroo's and Y/N's parents also chant for him to make a wish and to blow out the candles. He grows embarrassed from their adamancy. 

"Guy's you're stressing him out." Kuroo eyes the parents with a glare and a grin. They laugh among each other and silence their cheers. 

You inch the pie a bit closer to Kozume. His golden cat-like eyes stare at you for a moment. "Did you set this up for me?" He whispers. 

You shake your head, turning your gaze next to Kozume. "Tetsurō helped too." 

"Yeah, don't forget I'm here." Kuroo settles a hand on Kozume's shoulder, giving him a light squeeze. 

A smile forms on Kozume's face when he looks at the two dearly. He closes his eyes and silently makes a wish before blowing out the candles. A thunderous sound of claps fills the silent home. 

"Alright! Let's bust out the food and alcohol." Y/N's mom hurries over to the fridge to grab the wine she's brought over. Kuroo's mom also grabs out the pack of beers she's bought. You roll your eyes at how eager your mother is for wine. 

Kozume gently places his hands over yours to hold onto the pie. You're startled from the sudden touch and turn your attention towards him. "Who made the pie?" Kozume eyes the beautiful golden crisp color. 

"I did." You answer him shyly. His eyes meet yours and you watch the corner of his lips curl. 

"Could I have a slice of it right now?" 

"Sure. It's yours anyway." You lightheartedly giggle and the two of you carry it over to the island counter. Everyone gets a slice of pie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The parents chat among themselves with laughter and alcohol in their hands. 

Kozume, Kuroo, and you excuse yourselves from the adults and sit in the living room. 

"We got you gifts too." Kuroo reaches behind the sofa and sets a large present down in Kozume's lap. He stops himself from raising another bite of pie into his mouth to open the gift Kuroo's given him. You grab hold of Kozume's plate for him and he quietly thanks you. 

Kozume hesitantly rips off the wrapping paper. "It's not a prank gift again, is it?" 

Kuroo scoffs and shakes his head. "Of course not."

"Prank gift?" You raise an eyebrow, staring at the two. Kozume turns to look at you with a look of disgust. "Kuroo last year thought it would be funny to get me one of those boxes that shoots things out of it the moment you lift the lid. The dumb thing shot in my eye and Kuroo just laughed himself into tears." 

You stifle the laughter when you listen to Kozume. "You're a jerk Tetsurō." You try to glare daggers at Kuroo but he playfully rolls his eyes. The two of you hear a soft gasp from Kozume when he looks down at the gift Kuroo's bought him. 

"No way!" His slight high pitch voice makes the two smile. The glimmer and shine in Kozume's eyes is childlike. He stares at the large gundam in awe. A number 1/10 is etched in gold on the right corner of the box. Kozume carefully opens the box to pull the gundam out. The same etched number is on the platform. 

"How did you manage to get this? Or how did you even know I wanted this Kuroo?" Kozume carefully grazes his fingers over the gundam. He quickly stands up and walks over to one of his many glass cases. You then notice there's an empty one at the top. 

Several smaller gundams are on the lower shelves. 

Kozume sets the tall gundam in the empty space and steps back to admire his complete collection. The corner of his lips curl in a smile and you can tell his excitement from his growing smile. 

"I have my ways." Kuroo answers Kozume from the sofa.

"You didn't mess with the dark web, did you?" Kozume returns to the two. Kuroo shakes his head furiously. "Hell no. I would never go there. At least I'd have someone else do that." Kuroo jokes around with a chuckle.

"Either way, thanks Kuroo. I love the gift." Kozume shares a smile to Kuroo who returns a smile back at him.

"Don't forget about my gift." You wedge your way into their bromance. Kuroo and Kozume snicker at your slight whiney tone. You place the plates of pies down onto the coffee table. "It's not as amazing as Tetsurō's gift. But...I put a lot of effort into it." 

"She honestly did. I was there for the whole thing." Kuroo chuckles beside Kozume. You reach behind the pillow of the sofa and extend a tiny box to Kozume. He eyes the box curiously before taking it from you. As he opens the gift you explain to him the difficulties of not knowing what to buy him.

"I figured I should make you something instead since you could literally buy anything you want. It's a bit childish but I figured you'll appreciate it more than others." You nervously watch Kozume lift the lid open to see a red and black beaded bracelet with his name. 

His choked back laughter surprises you and Kuroo both. He shyly covers a hand over his mouth to hold back his laugh. 

"W-What's so funny?" You eye Kozume confused. 

"It's just..." He laughs between words. "This is really cute Y/N." He clears his throat and grabs the bracelet out of the box, sliding it on his right wrist. He moves his wrist back and forth to stare at the bracelet. "I feel like this would be something you'd give me back in middle school."

Your face flushes from his statement and Kuroo snickers beside Kozume. Scrunching your nose, you look away. 

"I'm not making fun of the gift or anything. I really love it Y/N." Kozume sets the empty box down. You're unsure if he really genuinely likes it or if he's being considerate. His reaction to Kuroo's present is by far better than yours. You grow depressed for not thinking of something better. 

"Hey." Kozume softly calls out to you. Busy in your thoughts, you don't hear him. 

Kozume purses his lips. 

_Did he offend Y/N by laughing?_

He turns slightly towards Y/N to wrap his arms around her neck. Y/N tenses under his hold and he hears her breath hitch. Kuroo looks just as surprised when he stares at Kozume's back.

"I genuinely love the gift Y/N. I didn't mean to offend you by laughing." Kozume's low whisper sends chills down your back. "You're the best gift this year. No amount of money can buy that for me." You gulp from his words. Feeling a warmth spread in your chest. 

Kuroo's unable to hear whatever Kozume is whispering to Y/N. But he selfishly breaks the moment by hugging Kozume and Y/N. He squeezes the two tightly.

"T-Tetsurō you're crushing Kenma into me!" You stammer your words out.

"I felt left out." Kuroo mumbles. 

Kozume grows flustered and he tries to find his words. "T-This is awkward now. Let us go Kuroo." 

"No." Kuroo huffs out, hugging the two of you even tighter. "It's not every day we hug like this. Just let it happen." 

Kozume and you both whine out in pain but Kuroo ignores your pleas. 

"What are those three doing?" Kozume's mother notices the three of them hugging and flailing around. Kuroo's father chuckles and shakes his head. "It's a beautiful sight to see. The three of them together again." 

Y/N's mother nods her head. "I hope nothing breaks them apart again."


	18. Heartbreaking loneliness

Azumane lays in bed with his phone in his hand. His thumb slides against the screen as he looks through his social media page. A notification pops up with a new post that Y/N's published on her story. His thumb hovers over her icon and he hesitates to see what she's been up to. 

The last time he's seen her was the day she received materials for her project. The boss allowed her to work from home and he hasn't seen her since then. Neither have texted or called each other. Their friendship seems to drift apart and that thought alone causes Azumane to feel incredibly lonely. 

He regrets ever asking her the question of her getting back together with Kuroo. That selfish inconsiderate question he should've kept to himself. Of course she would go back to Kuroo. Her heart didn't waver for Azumane's and he knows that. 

_Would he let his emotions interfere a ten year friendship?_

He grumbles and places his phone on the nightstand. Resting one arm on his forehead, he stares up at the ceiling in the dark apartment studio. Memories of Y/N flash through his mind. The two have been through a lot together. 

From pulling all nighter study sessions, working together on projects back in university and even at their current job, staying out to drink with clients for Y/N to only get stupidly drunk by mistake. Their late night drives. Sporadic vacation trips. Business trips. Long phone calls despite seeing each other moments ago. Birthday celebrations. 

There's so many memories the two have created together. Happy ones and sad ones. Even a few arguments and temptation ones to sprinkle into the mix. 

A month has passed since the two have spoken.

**The longest time ever.**

Azumane slowly reaches for his phone again. He gulps before tapping on her icon to watch her story. A short clip plays of the back view of Y/N holding a pie with candles and the shout of 'surprise'. The next clip is of Kozume blowing out the candles with a cheer in the background. Another post plays next. An image of Kozume, Y/N, and Kuroo showing off similar styled bracelets. 

Watching these clips and seeing the photo stirs a tight clenching pain in Azumane's chest. He feels like he's already been replaced by her childhood friends. Hurt and frozen he lets the next few posts play automatically. 

Kozume drinks a shot glass, his cheeks already flushed red. "ANOTHER ONE. YOU HAVE TO TAKE 28 SHOTS." The loud voice seems to belong to Kuroo. Y/N can be heard giggling and the video shakes slightly from her laughter. Kozume stares directly at her with narrowed eyes. 

"Hey. What's so funny? You're taking a shot too Y/N. For every year you missed my birthday." 

"Wait, what?" 

Kozume smirks and snatches the phone away, turning it towards her. 

"Oooo, I like that idea. Add ten more since you missed mine too." Kuroo is already pouring her a shot glass, extending it to her. She raises her hands up in defeat. "L-Let's not. I can't handle my alcohol well." 

"Don't be such a pussy Y/N." An older woman's voice slurs behind the camera.

"MOM." Y/N's face reddens slightly when she glares at the woman behind the camera. Azumane can hear an eruption of laughter. Kozume extends another shot glass and now there's two in front of Y/N. With everyone egging her on and her mother calling her out for being weak, she grumbles and rolls her eyes. 

"Don't hate me if you have to stay by my side while I throw up later." Azumane is unsure who she's referring to when she takes the two shots. One after the next. She scrunches her face and a cheer rings out when she does so. 

"Alright, 18 more!" Kuroo chuckles loudly and the posts end there.

Azumane lowers his phone to his chest. He slowly exhales. 

Y/N seems happy. He should be happy for her too. 

_But..._

"UGH." Azumane rolls over to scream into his pillow. The amount of sadness and pain he feels right now is unbearable. 

**He misses her.**

_Her voice. Her laughter. Her smile. Her attention to him._

The tightness in his chest aches and he finds it hard to breath. 

He didn't want the two to fall out this way. 

This is much more painful than him owning up to the fact that he'll never be together with her. He'd rather bare the pain of hearing her tell him she loves Kuroo instead and for the two to remain as friends than for him to feel this unexplainable loneliness in his heart. 

The corner of his eyes sting with tears and his fragile heart cracks. 

Being alone in his dark studio apartment amplifies how lonely he feels. His thoughts are clouded and he gives up on fighting the tears that melt into his pillow. His silent crying stops when his phone buzzes. 

He answers the call without looking at the caller ID. His response muffled by his pillow. "Hello?" 

"Asahi." 

Azumane's tears completely stop and he's stunned into silence when he hears the slurred voice of Y/N. He sits up straight and presses his phone closer to his ear to listen to her voice again. "Y/N?" 

"That's my name." She softly giggles, hiccupping. 

_Did she drunk call him?_

"Are you drunk?" Azumane timidly asks her and he hears her ruffling in the background. 

"Just a little. I'm not wasted." She runs one hand through her hair, exhaling slowly. 

"Where are you? Are you home? Should I come get you?" 

A smile forms on Y/N's face and she silently shakes her head even though Azumane couldn't see her doing so. "My parents are with me. They're dragging me back to their place when they're done drinking. Thanks for worrying about me like always." 

Azumane's shoulders relax slightly when he hears her answer. He worried a bit that Kuroo or Kozume would be the one to take care of her. "Okay, that's good. Um...did you call me by accident or?" 

Y/N stares at her lap, she twirls her finger around the end of her hair. The cold night air kisses her warm skin as she sits on the outside porch. "No. It wasn't by accident. I guess it's the alcohol that gave me some confidence to call you. I would've been too nervous if I were sober." 

Azumane dryly chuckles at her response.

"We've grown distant. I'm sure you've noticed too, right?" She curiously asks Azumane who grows silent. 

"Yeah." 

A silence fills the phone call. 

"Have you been well? How are the projects going with Kimiko?" Y/N initiates the conversation again. Azumane tries his best to answer her questions without wanting to tell her how badly he misses her. 

"The projects will be complete by the end of this month. I've been tired lately but I'll have plenty of time to sleep in November. What about you? I see you've reunited with Kenma and Kuroo." 

Y/N stiffens in her spot when she catches the slight pained voice Azumane spoke with during the last sentence. "I finished Kenma's suit and I'm surprisingly halfway done with the wedding dress. I should have it finished in November. I took your advice and dropped my guard for them. Despite not talking to each other for so many years, it feels like nothings changed in our friendship." 

Azumane slowly nods his head. His eyes drop to his blanket and one hand clutches it tightly. 

"That's good." 

"Yeah." She answers softly. 

Another silence goes by with neither of them speaking. 

"About last time..." Azumane is the one to speak up now. 

"Wait. Can we talk about that in person?" Y/N cuts him off before he can say anything. "I'd feel better if I could see you when we talk about that topic." She bites her inner cheek, eyes wavering. 

"S-Sure. Just tell me when. I'm free during the evening. You know where I'll be." Azumane forms a half smile. "I'll be sure to bring your favorite." Y/N smiles when she hears the low chuckle from Azumane. "Bring some for yourself too. We could share a meal over a serious talk." 

"Okay." 

The two feel more relaxed than the start of the phone call. A smile on both of their faces. 

"Y/N? Why are you out here. You'll catch a cold." The faint voice of Kozume pulls the two away from each other. 

"It's not that cold." Y/N replies back. "You're warm from the alcohol. Come inside before you get sick." Kozume waits with the screen door open. She exhales and apologizes to Azumane. "I'll text you later Asahi. Get some sleep." 

"You too Y/N." 

Azumane notices that she's waiting for him to end the call. He smiles at the fact before ending the call on his end. He then slowly lays back down, feeling his stress slowly melt away. 

Azumane's eyelids grow heavy and he let's his body be pulled into a deep slumber.


	19. Unplanned sleepover

The next morning you wake up with a throbbing headache. You rub your temples as you groggily sit up in your bed in your childhood room. You can't remember how many shots you consumed after your call with Azumane. 

But the amount was too much with how horrible you feel. 

The sunrays gave you a headache when you it beams on your face. 

You wince from the bright light and get yourself up out of bed to use the bathroom. Your dad is just leaving the bathroom when he sees you pinching the bridge of your nose and shaking your head. 

"Rough night?" Dad teases you when he notices the agony on your face. "Your mother made some soup and there's medicine for you to take when you're done. Would you be okay to drive back home or should I take you there? Mother can drive in her car and I'll take yours." 

"I would appreciate it if you could drop me off." You murmur to your dad before closing the bathroom door behind you. You timidly look at yourself in the mirror. You look fine but you feel like complete shit. You wondered how the other two are doing. They must be feeling just as bad or even worse. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Fuck..." Kozume grumbles out from his sofa. Kuroo groans just as loudly on the floor. Neither of them managed to make it to a bed last night after changing into their pajamas. "I hate you Kuroo. How can I go to work today?"

"Just take the day off. If your staff needs anything, they'll text you." Kuroo weakly waves his hand to shoo off Kozume's worries. "Luckily, I'm off so I'm just going to make myself at home here." Kuroo sits up to snatch a pillow off the sofa. He plops it onto the floor and yawns before settling back to sleep. 

Kozume sits up and kicks Kuroo's back. "At least use the guest bedroom."

Kuroo winces from the kick but he doesn't budge. Kozume sighs and shakes his head with a small smile. He walks over to the fridge to drink some water. He feels a pulsing headache coming on the moment he woke up. 

The slightest loud noise would send him into agony. 

His golden eyes look around at his living room. The only evidence that a party happened is the overflowing trash bin and the balloons that float up to the ceiling. His eyes glance at the bracelet around his wrist. The corner of his lips curl into a smile when he sees the gift Y/N's given him. 

He pats his pockets for his phone but notices it's not on him. Kozume backtracks and walks over to the sofa. His phone lays there wedged between two cushions. Carefully, Kozume sits himself back on the sofa. 

His fingers tap on the screen and several notifications pop up on his social media. His brows furrow together and his eyes widen slightly. Several comments below his photos from yesterday are questioning who Y/N is. 

_"???? Did Kenma get a girlfriend?_ 😢 _"_

_"Who's the girl?"_

_"They're wearing matching bracelets. I'm jealous._ 😭 _"_

_"Guys! I found her account its ----"_

**This isn't good.**

Kozume's completely forgotten how some ' _fans_ ' may turn obsessive over him. He quickly pulls up Y/N's account and notices the flood of people commenting on her last photo. The comments are irrelevant to the picture and many of them are either questioning her relationship with him or downright being rude. 

Kozume lets out a sigh, his hand ruffling his hair. 

People can be so malicious towards others without knowing who they are to begin with. 

Kozume quickly calls up Y/N, hoping she hasn't looked at her page yet. 

"Is something wrong?" Kuroo rolls over to look up at Kozume from the floor. Kozume closes his eyes and nods his head. 

"Everyone's holding a pitchfork on Y/N. I didn't think twice about posting those pictures of the three of us last night. Without any context, everyone's assuming Y/N is a secret girlfriend of mine." 

Kuroo sits up quickly. He reaches for his phone to see what Kozume's talking about. The call goes straight to voicemail and it only leaves Kozume feeling more anxious.

_Did she see the comments and decide to avoid her phone? Or maybe her phone died and she never got the chance to plug it on the charger?_

Kozume jumps off of the sofa and darts towards a window to see if her car is still outside at her parents driveway. But the driveway is empty of both her car and her parents. 

"Kuroo, do you know where Y/N lives?" Kozume throws on a coat and completely disregards to brush his teeth or anything. 

"Yeah. Why?" Kuroo looks away from his phone, rubbing his eyes. 

"We're going to her place. Hurry up." Kozume impatiently walks out the door, forcing Kuroo to get up and hurry after him. He groans under his breath, aching more sleep.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡. 

You hear thundering knocks on your door as you're wrapped up in several layers of blankets.

_Who could it possibly be?_

Your headache only worsens the longer they knock. 

Annoyed, you wrap yourself with your blanket and trudge over to the door with a piercing glare. Upon opening the door you see Kozume and Kuroo with messy hair and pajamas underneath their coats. The two seem to have just woken up to come over to your place. 

The glare you hold softens when you meet their eyes. 

"Oh. Did...did we wake you?" Kozume looks apologetic when he sees you completely covered with a blanket. 

"Not really. I didn't fall asleep yet." You step aside to let the two in. They take their shoes off while you lock the door. You then walk yourself back to your bed. Kozume purses his lips when he follows after you, sitting at the edge of your bed. Kuroo helps himself to whatever is in your fridge. 

"Is there a reason you two are here?" You look at Kozume after you lay back down in bed. You hardly cared at this point if you looked like a bear hibernating for the winter underneath your blankets. You feel like shit and planned on staying in bed all day. 

Kozume purses his lips and pulls out his phone. "Did you look at your phone at all today?" 

Shaking your head, you point to your phone that's charging on the night stand. "It died sometime last night. Did something crazy happen?" 

"Yeah. Everyone thinks you're Kenma's girlfriend." Kuroo speaks between bites of one of your yogurt cups. You sit up and rest your back on the backboard of your bed from the news. Kozume sits beside you instead of on the edge of your bed to show you his phone. 

Taking the phone from his hand, you scroll through the comments. One after the next is about you instead of congratulating Kozume on his birthday. You type in your name to search for your account and see several comments on your most recent photo. None of the comments relating to the image whatsoever. 

"Wow, alright." You speak bluntly, handing the phone over to Kozume. "Girls can be evil. But, I'm not worried." 

Kozume raises an eyebrow. "You're not? They're just going to continue leaving rude comments on your page. And it's all my fault."

You place a hand on Kozume's shoulder, eyeing him. "You didn't know they would react this way. I'm sure things will blow over when you clarify to them that I'm just your childhood friend. We can't let this damage the outcome of your game that you're working on." 

Kozume widens his eyes slightly when he looks at Y/N.

_She's worried about his game instead of her public appearance?_

Kuroo snickers when he sits on the end of the bed by Kozume's feet. "To think you were worried about her and she's just looking out for you. Y/N is taking this better than you are Kenma." Kozume averts his eyes down to his phone. 

"Kenma has a bigger public presence than I do. I'm still a small fashion apparel designer trying to get my name out there. This kind of scandal would hurt him more than me." Y/N speaks up beside Kozume. "Should I lie saying I already have a boyfriend too? Would that help make it more believable?" 

"Who would your fake boyfriend be?" Kuroo smirks when he asks. 

You shrug in response. Your eyes focused on how quiet Kozume's gone. 

"No, you don't have to do that. If they don't take my word than I don't want them to support me. I don't want anyone to support me if they're being malicious towards the one I love." Kozume makes up his mind. He opens up a notepad and starts to jot his emotions down. 

"The one you love?" You quietly repeat Kozume's words. His cheeks flush when he hears his words repeated back to him. 

"I told you he loves you Y/N." Kuroo chuckles, taking a last spoonful of yogurt in his mouth before walking back to the kitchen to wash the spoon in the sink and tossing the plastic container away. 

"I'm sure he loves me the same way he loves you Tetsurō. Don't make things weird." You grumble out.

With that problem settled, you lay back down and stare at Kozume's frozen fingers on his phone. "Should I read over your post when you're done writing?" 

Kozume lowers his eyes to your face. His eyes tell you he wants to say something but he keeps his lips sealed. 

Kozume wants to correct her. He wants to tell her that his love for her and Kuroo are two separate things. But he's also alarmed to hear that Kuroo's mentioned this before to Y/N.

_Does that mean Kuroo's already known his feelings for Y/N this entire time?_

"Scoot over. I want to read it too." Kuroo's voice meets Kozume's ear. Y/N scoots over to the left side of the bed to give Kozume room to allow Kuroo to sit next to him. The bed is a bit too small for three grown adults but they squeeze together to make it work. 

Kuroo helps himself to the blanket and Kozume reluctantly covers himself with the blanket too. Y/N's head rests against his side and Kozume sits up properly. He silently pulls her closer to let her rest her head on his lap. She's reluctant to do so but Kuroo pushes her head down the moment she lifts her head off Kozume's lap. 

"Just go back to bed." Kuroo murmurs down to Y/N. 

"This feels like a sleepover I didn't ask for." You grumble out. You lift your head up again only to feel Kozume's hand gently push it back down. 

"Oh well." Kozume speaks softly when he glances down at your face. He wears a small smile and returns his focus on his post. Kuroo throws out ideas for Kozume to which Kozume declines each one. "I'm not going to threaten them back Kuroo."

"Why not? They're being rude." Kuroo scoffs, his eyes slowly gazes around Y/N's apartment. It's small but it's comfortable and well lived in. He pauses when he sees a photo frame on her nightstand.

One of her and Azumane, which he quietly faces down. The other is a photo of Kozume, her, and Kuroo on a field trip back in high school. 

He furrows his brows together when he sees a sticker plastered over his face. Raising the picture frame up, he shows it to Kozume and Y/N. "You didn't scribble my face out but instead you put a sticker over me?" 

Kozume chuckles when he sees the picture. You extend your arm up slightly to rip the sticker off. "There, you crybaby." 

"Crybaby?!" Kuroo reaches over Kozume to pinch your cheek but you toss the blanket over your face. 

"What are you doing hiding yourself under the blankets while having your head on Kenma's lap, Y/N?" Kuroo purposely teases you but he's also causing Kozume to fluster from the imagination. You're quick to uncover your face, glaring at Kuroo. 

"TETSURŌ ." You yell out his name but wince from your own loud voice. 

He apologizes between laughter and Kozume remains frozen and flushed in the face. "I can't handle you two." Kozume weakly murmurs under his breath. 


	20. Confrontation

Y/N's fallen asleep shortly after her bickering with Kuroo. Kozume continues to type and erase his thought process for the next hour or two and Kuroo gives himself a tour of Y/N's small apartment studio. 

With everyone skipping breakfast, Kuroo takes it upon himself to go out and grab a few things to make lunch for the three. 

"Are you sure you want to go out in pajamas? We could just order take out." Kozume speaks with his eyes glued to his phone. He's resistant to move from his spot with Y/N's head still on his lap. Kuroo pulls over his coat and shakes his head. 

"I'm not ashamed to walk out like this. Besides, I'm not trying to impress anyone. The girl I want to impress is asleep on your lap." Kuroo wears a warm smile when he gazes at Y/N's sleeping face. Kozume lowers his eyes to Y/N, pursing his lips. "I won't take long. Make sure she stays asleep. I want to surprise her when I get back." Kuroo smirks from ear to ear and closes the door behind him with his keys in hand. 

Kozume softly sighs and lowers his phone to his side. His heart thumps against his chest when he looks down at Y/N. She looks absolutely adorable as she sleeps peacefully. 

"Kuroo's girl." Kozume murmurs under his breath with a frown when he carefully strokes Y/N's hair behind her ear. The faint touch of her ear against his skin startles him and he jolts his hand back. He holds his breath, afraid that the slight motion might wake her up. But Y/N only stirs a bit. She rolls over and Kozume scoots to his left to give her more room. 

Kuroo's words earlier invades his mind. 

_"I told you he loves you Y/N."_

Kozume's chest grows tight and he clenches his teeth together. If he's interpreting Kuroo's words correctly...how long has Kuroo known? 

This kind of conversation is something he needs to have with Kuroo. It's no longer his secret if Kuroo knows. Instead it'll be a secret between the two of them. 

Shaking his head to rid of the thoughts, Kozume picks his phone back up. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Kuroo returns an hour later and Kozume joins him in the kitchen to help prepare a small lunch. Rice, miso soup, and grilled salted mackerel. Kuroo's favorite kind of meal. 

"Did you manage to write a post?" Kuroo speaks softly to Kozume who's washing the rice in the sink. Kozume shakes his head in response. 

"I want to convey my message in a way for them to understand how important Y/N is and how hurt I am for their actions without making it seem like we're dating." Kozume murmurs. His eyes stare at the rice bowl in front of him. The water a milky white as he swirls the rice around. 

The sound of the oil crackling in the pan fills the silent apartment.

Kuroo slowly places the mackerel into the pan after seasoning one side. A beautiful crisping sound hums out. "You love her, don't you?" Kuroo's words is blunt but with no malice behind it. 

Kozume stops his hand from cleaning the rice. He stands frozen in place and his breath escapes from him. 

"You don't need to hide it from me Kenma." Kuroo continues to speak as he stares at the mackerel in the pan. He wears a lopsided smile but his eyes are distant. "You've had feelings for her for awhile, right? How many years has it been?" 

Kozume's lips twitch in response. His muscles tense and he wants nothing more than to run out of the apartment. He knew this topic needs to be brought up but he didn't know it would happen right now. 

"When...when did you notice?" Kozume manages to find his voice. He slowly regains feeling in his body. He pours out the water from the rice bowl and replaces it with fresh water before placing it in the rice cooker. 

Kuroo sighs with a small smile, rolling his shoulders. "When did I?" He speaks more to himself than Kozume. He flips the mackerel over and seasons it.

Kozume moves on from the rice to prepare the miso soup beside Kuroo. The two speak in hushed whispers. 

"I don't remember exactly when. But I definitely was surprised by how well you kept your feelings to yourself. I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't notice the small things you would go out of your way to do for her. Small things that no one would really think twice on. Like placing your hand under the table to protect her head when she would reach under to pick something up." Kuroo smiles fondly at the image. 

"Or walking closer to the edge of the sidewalk even though she insisted to not split you and I up as we walked home together." Kuroo's words soften the more he recalls Kozume's actions in the past. 

"Hell...the two of you must've been closer in middle school than I was with her in high school. Actually--" Kuroo looks away from the sizzling pan to look at Kozume's forlorn face. Kozume stared emptily at the water that has yet to boil. 

"Did you like Y/N before I did, Kenma?" Kuroo furrows his brows together, a serious look on his face. 

Kozume shrugs. "Probably. But, it doesn't matter. I didn't understand what those feelings were in middle school. I just thought I cared about her a lot. Evidentially those feelings were love. But I can't do anything about it." Kozume finally looks Kuroo in the eyes. "Her hearts made up and--"

Kozume gets cut off from the sound of a doorbell ringing throughout the apartment. The two stand frozen in their spot. 

_Who could that be?_

Kozume and Kuroo glance at one another before Kuroo silently says he'll answer the door. Kozume watches over the mackerel after taking the chopsticks from Kuroo. 

Upon opening the door, Kuroo meets a pair of brown eyes. The two speak in unison.

"Kuroo?"

"Asahi?" 

Both raise their eyebrows at one another.

Kuroo is the one to speak up when Azumane clams up at the sight of Kuroo in his pajamas. Several questions swirl in Azumane's mind but he doesn't speak them aloud. 

"You look horrible. Did you run here?" Kuroo notices the sweat beading on Azumane's forehead. His hair a wild mess behind his shoulders and the way his dress shirt and tie are crinkled. 

"Y/N. Is she here? The phones at the office have been ringing nonstop about some rumor of her and Kenma dating? We were confused to the situation after receiving calls from girls threatening our boss to fire her."

"Wait, what?" Kuroo looks alarmed at the news. He didn't think Kozume's "fans" would go as far as looking up Y/N's workplace and threatening such things to her boss. Kuroo steps aside to let Azumane in. "Come in. She's asleep right now." 

Azumane nods his head and excuses himself inside the apartment. He takes his shoes off and realizes Kozume standing by the stove. Kozume raises a hand up to say hi to Azumane. 

"Kenma. The situations gotten worse. They're threatening Y/N to be fired." 

Kozume widens his eyes slightly. He hands the chopsticks over to Kuroo and hurries over to ask Azumane more questions in detail. Azumane stammers over his words when he tries to explain the situation. With things escalating quickly, Kozume feels rushed to solve the situation. The anger in him overtakes his rationality. 

He takes his phone out of his pocket and excuses himself from the two. 

Kozume walks out towards Y/N's balcony and closes the sliding door with a soft click. 

Despite how quiet the three were, Y/N groggily wakes up. The pounding headache from earlier this morning has slightly subsided. 

You slowly whine from how heavy your body feels when you flutter your eyes open. With your senses waking up, you smell something in the air. You jolt awake and rub your eyes, staring towards the kitchen to see Kuroo and Azumane. 

"Tetsurō? Asahi?" You say their names softly full of confusion.

_You had forgotten Kuroo was here but why was Azumane here?_

"Good afternoon sleepyhead." Kuroo wears a smile when you make eye contact. "While you were sleeping, the world was falling apart." 

"What are you talking about?" You grumble out, tossing the blankets off of you. 

Azumane nibbles his bottom lip, summing up the courage to speak up about the situation at work. He catches you up on the details and the only thing on your mind is, "Where's Kenma?" 

Kuroo sighs with a smile on his lips. He points over to the balcony. 

"He's not jumping off the balcony is he?" You get out of bed and hurry over to the balcony, forgetting how harsh the cold is when you step outside in your t-shirt and shorts. You reach out to grab Kozume's arm when you see him lean over the balcony. 

Kozume startles when he feels a force pull him back. Y/N forces him to face her, a look of panic etching onto her face. 

"You weren't thinking about jumping off the balcony were you? If so, I'm kicking your ass Kenma." Y/N angrily spits out her words in a slur with redden cheeks. Her arms litter in goosebumps from the afternoon crisp air. 

"W-What? No, I'm just out here to get some air and to calm down." Kozume stammers his words out. He watches Y/N's face relax. She exhales and releases her hold on his wrist. The area now red from how tightly she gripped.

"Oh." Her anger replaces with embarrassment. A silence drifts into their conversation and Y/N wraps her arms around herself. Kozume notices her slight shivering and gently pushes her towards the sliding doors. 

"Go back in. Kuroo should have lunch ready." 

She purses her lips and stays in her spot. "Are you coming in too?"

Kozume shakes his head. "I need to figure out a way to stop this situation from escalating." 

"Let's just be upfront about our relationship Kenma." You speak firmly on your decision. Kozume tilts his head slightly, unsure what you're saying. "I have a few photos of us back in our younger years. You can use them as a post. To clarify that we've been friends since we were kids. To make it even more obvious that we're not dating..." You bite your bottom lip and pinch the bridge of your nose. 

"I still have photos of Tetsurō and I when we dated. I'll post that on my page to make it look more believable. So that way they can get off my back about being yours." 

"Why not just take a recent photo of us together Y/N?" Kuroo startles the two of you when he silently stands by the open screen door of the balcony. "I guess I'm your fake boyfriend now?" Kuroo is pleased by the thought, a devilish smirk on his face. 

Azumane stands awkwardly behind Kuroo, tightening his jaw. "I could also be your fake boyfriend." 

Kuroo and Kozume look over to Azumane with widen eyes. 

"You know what...let's just stick to the childhood friend photos." You interject in the conversation. "Faking a relationship is only going to hurt us in the long run." 

"Then let's not fake it." Kuroo turns around to face you. His hazel eyes burn a hole through you and his deep serious tone causes your heart to skip. The air around you feels heavy and you're left speechless like the rest. 

Kozume steps in front of you to block Kuroo's deep gaze. "Don't mess with her feelings like that Kuroo. Same to you Asahi. Don't go saying something so loosely. Let's go eat before the food gets cold." 

Your senses come back when you look at Kozume's back. He turns around to poke your forehead. "You're still weak to Kuroo's teasing Y/N." He speaks with a blank expression but you hear a slight pained tone underneath his façade. "We'll go with the first half of your idea after we finish eating." 

Kozume quietly takes your wrist and pulls you inside after the others head in. You stop in your tracks causing Kozume to turn around. 

"Are you upset, Kenma?"

He looks surprised and you see a red tint in his cheeks when you catch him. He scrunches his nose and casts his eyes down, murmuring, "Yeah." He bites his lower lip and grumbles innocently. "What if I wanted to pretend we're dating? Those other two loosely joked around about it." 

You snicker when you hear Kozume's retort. "We can't. You already see the repercussions forming from just a rumor. Imagine if we really dated. It'll only cause trouble for your appearance." 

Kozume remains quiet. He ponders on something before exhaling. "And what about you? You're too busy worrying over me but you forget that you're also in a bind."

"There's no worry on my end Kenma. I can always get another job elsewhere. But my boss would definitely not fire me. I roped in a deal with **the** Kenma Kozume after all." You wink at Kozume before walking past him to join the other two at the dining table. 

Kozume stands there with a flushed face. The corner of his lips curl into a smile and he faintly chuckles. "You also roped in my heart Y/N..."


	21. There might not be a next time

After eating lunch with the guys, you insist on washing the dishes since Kuroo and Kozume prepared the food. Without any objections they thank you before excusing themselves over to the balcony. Azumane helps dry the plates as you wash them.

"Are you sure you shouldn't head back to work? What about the projects you're helping Kimiko with?" You look over to Azumane who's focused on drying the plate in his hand. He pulls his attention away to gaze at your face. 

"I'll head back in a bit. I'm more worried about you. You're not pretending to be calm in front of those two are you?" Azumane examines your every move. He waits to see a change in your facial expression and you look away in response. Your eyes stare at the dish you're washing with a sponge. 

Pursing your lips, you sigh quietly. "I'm a little annoyed and angry." You pause to gather your thoughts together. 

"To have thousands of people assume who I am and to go further to sabotage me by attempting to get me fired is fucked up. What if I was Kenma's girlfriend? The way they reacted to the news would be mortifying for anyone."

You furrow your brows together, aggressively scrubbing the empty plate. "Kenma should be free to date whoever he wants and they should respect his private life. But I guess it's much harder to accept that when they've grown attach to Kenma after X amount of months to years of support. In their eyes Kenma belongs to them and no one else." 

Azumane notices Y/N's knuckles reddening from how tightly she clutches onto the plate. Before she causes further harm, Azumane extends his hand to grab the plate from her. "You're right. You should be annoyed and angry Y/N. I was getting worried with how calm and collected you were." 

You scoff at Azumane, your furrowed brows relaxing as you smile at him. "What if I was genuinely calm about the whole situation?" 

"Then, I would question how you're able to remain so calm." Azumane chuckles while he dries the plate with a hand towel. The conversation drops and you anticipate to start another topic. The one that you wanted to talk to him about last night.

With the dishes finished and the two of you drying your hands, you awkwardly clear your throat. Avoiding Azumane's eyes, you stare at the living room. "Should we have our conversation since you're here?" 

Azumane trails his eyes past the living room and towards the balcony. Kozume and Kuroo seem to be in a deep conversation of their own. Pursing his lips, he nods his head and points over to the sofa. The two of you make your way over to the living room, which doesn't take long.

You sit cross legged, facing Azumane who does the same. You hold onto one of the pillows on the sofa. Azumane crinkles his nose, the two feeling the tense awkward air between you both. 

"I missed you." Azumane weakly speaks up. His eyes nervously flick over to your surprised face.

**You've heard this line before.**

When you said the exact thing to Kuroo during your conversation. Hearing these words from someone else, especially Azumane, causes your heart to ache. 

Azumane lowers his eyes back down to his lap. He clasps his hands together and squeezes them to ease his anxiety. "We've never really stopped talking for this long before. At first I didn't think much of it since I was focused on work. But as the days went by, your lack of presence became apparent." Azumane's tone is soft and delicate. You feel as if breathing would be too loud compared to his gentle voice. 

"I could only distract myself with work for so many hours in the day. When I lay in bed, in the dark, alone in my thoughts...that's the worst time of the day." Azumane frowns. He clenches his teeth together and you notice his trembling shoulders. 

While Azumane had these kinds of feelings, you were too focused on your own work to even think about him. You feel guilty for not feeling as strongly like Azumane. Kozume and Kuroo filled the hole that Azumane left. So you didn't bare too much pain. 

"And when I saw how happy you were with those two last night..." Azumane's voice trembles and you notice the gloss in his eyes. He bites down on his lip, not wanting to continue his sentence. 

You didn't take a second thought about how Azumane must've felt when you posted those images and videos. 

Of course Azumane would watch your posts. For him, it may look like you easily replaced him with your old friends. He has every right to feel like that. Especially when the two of you distanced yourselves from one another. 

In his point of view it must look like you've casted him aside to rekindle your friendship with Kozume and Kuroo. You can't imagine how much pain Azumane felt when he watched you smile and laugh with someone else. The fact that you and Azumane have been friends for ten years seemed easily forgotten by your careless actions. 

"Asahi..." You call out his name to get his attention but he doesn't have the courage to look at you directly. He shakes his head in response. 

"I'm glad you're catching up with your friends. I really am. Those two are a big part of your life, so who am I to tell you that you could only hang out with me. I just felt this unbearable loneliness last night. Words can't explain how sad I felt. But it made me realize one thing."

Azumane raises his head to look over to you. He tightens his jaw before parting his lips slightly to speak. "I'd rather bare the excruciating pain than to have our friendship fall apart. I'm keeping my promise to you. That I'll be by your side whenever you need it Y/N. I slipped up before but I'm not letting that happen again." 

You place your small hands over top his trembling clasped ones. Giving his hands a firm squeeze, you stare into his brown eyes. 

A frown deepens on his face when he feels your touch. "Because maybe next time I wouldn't get a chance to talk to you like this." His lips quiver and the tears he's held back slides down his cheeks. Your eyes widen at the sight. 

You've only seen Azumane cry a handful of times and every time it surprises you. But this one hurts the most. 

_Because you're the reason for his tears._

_You'll also be the reason for his broken heart when he sees you in love with someone else._

Enveloping Azumane in a hug, you hide your face in the nook of his neck. You can only chant out _'I'm sorry'_ over and over as he cries into your shoulder.


	22. Puppy love

Kozume and Kuroo step out onto the balcony to get some fresh air and for Kozume to have a clear mind before he publishes his post on all social media platforms.

One of his members from the game development team sent a screen shot of Kozume's name trending on Tweeter. The photo only makes Kozume groan in response. 

"What now?" Kuroo curiously looks over at Kozume's phone. Not caring anymore, Kozume hands his phone over to Kuroo. Quietly, Kozume runs both hands through his hair. 

"This day feels like an eternity." Kozume grumbles under his breath. Kuroo knits his brows together and gently pats Kozume's back, extending his phone back to him. Kozume takes his phone and slides it into his pocket. 

"It'll be all over once you clarify things. I'm sure your silence is just making them more anxious." Kuroo pulls his hand back from Kozume and slides them into his pockets. A silence drifts into their conversation. "How about we return to the topic we spoke about in the kitchen before Asahi came over?" 

Kozume's face pales slightly from Kuroo's words but he shrugs and doesn't defy the suggestion. 

"Where did we leave off at?" Kozume folds his arms on top of the balcony railing. His eyes gaze out at the many buildings in Tokyo. A breeze flows through causing his hair to flutter wildly. 

"You mentioned her heart? But I'm fine with you speaking what's on your mind. I'm here to listen to you Kenma." Kuroo turns around to lean his back against the rail, his eyes stare up at the bottom of the upstairs neighbors balcony. 

Kozume remains quiet for a moment. He debates whether he should start from the very beginning or just summarize how his feelings got to where they are right now. Discussing his feelings for Y/N might relieve this pent up weight he's carried around. But he's hesitant to since the very person who's hearing him out is the man Y/N will most likely be with. He doesn't want to make Kuroo feel guilty on his behalf. 

"What are you thinking Kenma?" Kuroo turns to look at Kozume's blank face and troubled eyes. 

"If I should really tell you or not. I don't want my feelings to conflict with yours." Kozume speaks nonchalantly. His eyes gaze over to Kuroo's hazel ones. 

Kuroo wears a smug grin, a look of confidence. "Trust me Kenma, whatever you say won't waver my feelings for her. I will only hate myself for being the one who's taking the person you feel so strongly for." 

Kozume's lips form a thin line. He stares at Kuroo with a tense gaze before dropping his eyes down. "My feelings for Y/N...it must've happened sometime in middle school. Probably during summer vacation when you left to visit your extended family back in the countryside."

Kuroo's brows raises from the mention of his vacation trip out of Tokyo. He faintly remembers the memory. "Didn't Y/N cry a lot when the two of you said your goodbyes to me that summer? Or...wait a minute. You cried too!" Kuroo stands upright and points at Kozume. 

"Shut up. Why did you remember that detail specifically." Kozume puckers his lips out, giving Kuroo a look of embarrassment. 

Kuroo snickers and scratches the side of his nose. "I was worried the two of you wouldn't get along since I was the glue holding the three of us together." 

Kozume scoffs under his breath. "We got along. We just didn't have much to say to each other. Anyway." Kuroo lets Kozume continue on with his story without any other interruption. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡. 

𝐹𝓁𝒶𝓈𝒽𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀

Kuroo's dads sedan car drives further out of the neighborhood and becomes a small blurry speck through Kozume's tears. He hears Y/N quietly sniffle. She tries to wipe her tears away but she fails to harbor back her flowing tears. 

Not wanting both of them to cry over Kuroo, Kozume bottles up his remaining tears. "Kuroo won't be happy if he finds out you're still crying over him Y/N." 

"I-I know." She speaks between sobs and hiccups. 

Pursing his lips, Kozume extends a hand out in front of her. The small girl lowers her eyes to his extended hand, forming a confused expression with a frown. "Let's go play video games. That might cheer you up." 

Y/N calms her sniffles and nods her head. She carefully places her hand in Kozume's. The heat of her skin against Kozume makes him nervous but he gives her small hand a firm squeeze. He quietly leads her back to his house. 

"Did you give Kuroo a proper send off on his trip Kenma?" Kozume's mother turns around to look at him from the living room. Her smile falls when she notices how red his and Y/N's eyes are. She quickly gets up from the sofa and rushes over to the two kids. 

Worried, she looks over Kozume and carefully wipes the tears off of Y/N's face. "Did you two cry?" 

Y/N cries harder at the mention of crying while Kozume tries to remain strong. He shakes his head despite how red his eyes are. Kozume's mother sighs and forms a small smile. "I'll grab some snacks and drinks for the both of you. Go upstairs and try to have some fun. I'll bring your goodies up shortly." She pats Kozume's shoulder before excusing herself over to the kitchen. 

Kozume gives Y/N's arm a gentle tug and she follows right behind him. 

It's odd for the two to hang out like this but Kozume's only worry right now is to make sure Y/N stops crying. He's never managed to cheer her up before. Kuroo seems to be the only one who could make her smile. Kozume's unsure how he could manage to make Y/N smile during the summer break they shared together. Just the two of them. 

This is a difficult quest he's accepted. 

He let's go of Y/N's hand the moment they step foot in his room. Quietly, he walks over to his T.V. to turn it on. He then looks in a small box of video games he's tucked under his bed. 

_What game would cheer up Y/N?_

He sulks when he realizes a lot of these games are fighting games. Rummaging through the collection, Kozume's managed to find a game his mother bought for herself but she never got around to playing it.

A farming simulator game. One that Kozume's only played to kill time.

A smile forms on his face when he stares at the cute box art. He hurries over to his console and inserts the game disc in. 

Y/N quietly sits on the floor with a controller in her hands. Kozume joins her side after grabbing a blanket for the two to share.

Thankfully the game allows up to two players so Kozume's also able to distract himself from Kuroo's lack of presence too. 

"What game did you pick Kenma?" Y/N looks over to Kozume with a red button nose from her crying. He thought she looked cute and silly at the same time. 

"A game where the two of us can be farmers. We could build a barn and manage animals once we get enough funds." Kozume gives some details about the game to Y/N and he hopes she doesn't find it too boring. 

Her silence and focused eyes on the screen tells him that she's captivated by the idea. 

"Let's make a huge farm with lots of crops. We could also show Kuroo what we built together without him." Y/N's mood brightens incredibly and her perky mood also makes Kozume excited about playing a game like this. Usually he'd much rather battle a boss in chaos mode. But a simple farm game is a nice change of pace. 

The two spent hours each day working on their farm together. This is probably the longest time they've spent together and spoken to each other without Kuroo. Y/N warmed up to Kozume over the next few weeks and she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind. 

One day specifically, her parents allowed her to have a sleepover at Kozume's place. The two secretly stayed up late when his parents had fallen asleep. They lay on their stomachs with controllers in their hands, eyeing the illuminated television screen in the dark room. 

"Did you water the crops already Kenma?" Y/N whispers as softly as she can beside him. Her attempt makes him chuckle a bit. 

"Yeah, did you feed Mr. and Mrs. Cow?" Kozume walks his character over to the barn. Y/N panics and rushes her character over to the barn.

"Wait! Don't feed them yet. Let's feed them together." Y/N quietly cries out and Kozume stifles his further chuckling. 

"Okay, okay. I won't." 

The two share a moment of laughter when they focus on the farm tasks. Neither of them aware of the door that's slowly opening in Kozume's bedroom. Their laughter cuts short when the bright light of the bedroom flicks on. 

Kozume and Y/N both lower their controllers. They hesitate to look at the person by the door. 

"I thought you two agreed to sleep at 10PM? It's midnight now you two." Kozume's mother stands at the door with her arms crossed but a playful smile on her face. She walks over and turns off the television. The two of them hand her the controllers and shuffle back to their spots. Kozume lays in his bed and Y/N crawls into the futon they laid out on the floor besides Kozume's bed. 

His mother kisses the two goodnight on their foreheads before turning the lights off and closing the door. They wait a moment before whispering to each other. 

"Sorry Kenma. I probably giggled too loud and she caught us." Y/N mutters under her breath, eyeing the ceiling above her.

Kozume rolls over to his side to look down at Y/N. His eyes readjust to the darkness and he notices the frown she wears. Kozume shakes his head, his hair ruffling against the pillowcase. "No, I was probably loud too. It's not all your fault." 

Y/N's eyes flick over to Kozume and he reassures her with a small smile. "If we sleep now, we can wake up bright and early tomorrow to play some more."

A smile spreads across Y/N's face at Kozume's words. She eagerly nods her head. 

"Okay!" She speaks excitedly and forces her eyes closed. Kozume stares at her for a moment. He feels a bit guilty having her sleep on the floor while he's sleeping on a cushioned bed. 

Biting his lower lip, he clutches tightly on his blanket. "Y/N?" He whispers her name, his voice cracking halfway. Without opening her eyes she responds back. "Hm?" 

Kozume bites his tongue and musters the courage to ask her the question on his mind. "Do...Do you want to sleep on the bed?" 

Her eyes flutter open and she looks over at Kozume. "I'm fine. The floor isn't too bad." He feels a bit dejected from her response and it must be apparent on his face since Y/N quickly changes her mind. "But your bed does look comfortable." She shuffles out of the futon and grabs her teddy bear. "Is it okay if I sleep on the bed?" 

Kozume pulls away from his moment of sadness and nods his head. He gets out of bed and tells her to sleep by the wall. He was afraid she'll roll off the bed in the middle of the night. Kozume didn't have the biggest bed but the two are small enough to share the space. 

She wears a smile when she makes herself comfortable. Kozume pulls the blanket over the two when he gets back into bed. He's the one to suggest the idea but now he grows nervous at the reality. Y/N has been close to him like this before when they're playing games together. But it's different when the two are sleeping next to one another. Thankfully her teddy bear gives a small divider between the two. 

Kozume keeps his eyes on the ceiling and Y/N slowly closes her eyes, hugging her teddy bear close. Her forehead gently rests on Kozume's shoulder as they share a single pillow. His body tenses and he tries to relax himself. 

"You have goosebumps Kenma. Are you scared? Do you want to hug my teddy bear?" Without a chance to answer her, Kozume finds a teddy bear placed in his arms. He timidly wraps his arms around the warm bear. "Can I tell you a secret Kenma?" Y/N carries on the conversation. He nods his head slightly. 

"I don't like the dark very much." Y/N sheepishly admits. She raises her head off of Kozume's shoulder to look at him. Her breath tickles his face and he feels his heart race.

**The feeling unusual.**

"Oh? Here, take your teddy back then. It gives you comfort right?" 

Y/N stops Kozume from handing her bear back. She shakes her head. "You need him right now too. We get goosebumps when we're scared right?" 

Kozume's goosebumps are for a different reason. A reason he's not too sure about. 

"Oh!" Her voice is much louder being by his ear which causes Kozume to flinch. "If I hug you, maybe you'll give me the same comfort as my teddy." Y/N smiles at the thought. Kozume widen his eyes and parts his lips slightly but no words form. "Can I?" She asks nervously, her eyes pleading in the darkness of the room. 

"S-Sure." Kozume manages to find his voice. His body litters with nervousness and he holds his breath as he anticipates Y/N's embrace. She easily places an arm over him, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. She hums with happiness when she feels his warmth. 

Kozume's face heats up when he feels her breath seep through his t-shirt sleeve. He tightens his hold on her teddy bear to calm his nerves. 

"Thank you Kenma." She quietly murmurs between a yawn. He stiffly nods his head. Sleep pulls Y/N away but Kozume remains wide awake. He carefully turns his head to look at Y/N's sleeping face. She wears a smile as she holds onto him. 

Y/N was always cute and a bit emotional at times. But at this moment, she looks absolutely adorable. 

Kozume hesitantly rests his head on hers before closing his eyes. The smell of strawberries from her and vanilla from him, intertwine together. 

Sleep soon lulls Kozume away.

Little did he know, the emotions he felt that night was puppy love.


	23. She was ready for forever

Kuroo remains quiet the entire time Kozume's reflected on the past memory. Kozume grows shy and flustered when he finishes the story. He nervously looks over at Kuroo who's hiding his face with his palm. 

The tips of Kuroo's ears redden and his shoulders shiver. 

Kozume raises an eyebrow at Kuroo's reaction. 

Lowering his hand from his face, Kuroo nibbles on his bottom lip with a flushed face. "That's the cutest shit I've ever heard." Kuroo's words stumble out of his lips. "I'm envious but I have to admit, that's a cute memory you two shared." 

Kozume exhales and rolls his eyes playfully. "That night was most likely the start of my feelings for Y/N. My feelings for her slowly but gradually formed but I was too ignorant to the emotions. I only began to accept what these feelings were when it was too late." 

"Because of me." Kuroo's words are heavy and a silence follows after. 

"It's fine though. I was genuinely happy for the both of you. Hurt, but I have no one to blame but myself for realizing too late. I planned to keep these feelings to myself forever but..." Kozume eyes Kuroo and the two share a gaze. "I can't hide anything from you it seems." The corner of his lips curl into a smile and Kuroo let's out an exasperated sigh. 

"No you cannot." Kuroo smirks and wholeheartedly chuckles. His laughter falls short and the two share a comfortable silence. "Are you not going to tell her how you feel at all? Maybe she'll have a change of heart. Your feelings might--" 

"No." Kozume cuts Kuroo off. "I know how important she is to you Kuroo. You need her just as much as she might need you." Kozume's golden cat-like eyes stare through Kuroo. "I'm positive Y/N still loves you. She was ready to be your forever ten years ago. I'm sure that hasn't changed ten years later." 

Kuroo's jaw drops slightly when he listens to Kozume's reasoning. A distant look forms on Kozume's face but he forces on a small smile. "She's just playing hard to get. So don't give up." Kozume clenches his teeth and buries his hands into his pockets. 

Silence is the only response Kuroo can form when he looks at Kozume's melancholy expression. His shoulders droop and the forced smile falters. The sound of the balcony screen door opens, catching Kozume's attention instantly. 

"Kenma! Since you're here, can I show you the tuxedo? It's finished. It might distract your mind from todays fiasco." Y/N wears a gentle smile when she eyes Kozume. Kuroo watches Kozume's expression soften up when he stares at Y/N. A genuine smile forms on Kozume's face when he nods. 

Y/N flicks her eyes over to Kuroo. "You should come inside too. The two of you have been out here for too long without a coat." She narrows her eyes on Kuroo with a look of disappoint before turning around to grab Kozume's suit from under her bed. 

Kozume holds the screen door for Kuroo before stepping back inside the warmth of the apartment studio. "Where's Asahi?" Kozume notices that it's only Y/N inside. 

She pulls out a large box from under her bed and brings it over to the coffee table in her little living room area. "He had to go back to the office." 

Kuroo and Kozume both sit down on the sofa and Y/N slowly lifts the lid off the box in a dramatic way. "Ta-da!" She smiles from ear to ear when the tuxedo is revealed before them. Kuroo and Kozume sit on the edge of the sofa to marvel at the stitching of the tux. 

"You really made this yourself?" Kuroo is speechless when he carefully takes the tux out of the box. Kozume gingerly holds the bottoms while Kuroo holds the top. 

"Oh wow. The material is really light." Kozume is amazed when he holds the bottoms that feel like absolutely nothing. 

You brighten at his compliment. "I made sure that the material is breathable for you. Even though the recording of the scene will be taken indoors away from the sun and nonpotential of heat because we're in winter. I still wanted you to feel comfortable in it incase you have to take several shots over and over in the outfit."

"You're always thinking about others, aren't you?" Kuroo flashes you a smile when he lowers the top back into the box. You grow shy from his words, averting your eyes from him. Puckering your lips out, you murmur. "The clients comfortability is always on the top of my list."

Kozume smiles when he places the bottoms back in the box. You neaten up the tuxedo before putting the lid over it. 

"What about the dress? Could we see that?" Kozume looks around the apartment to see if the dress is placed somewhere in plain sight. You shake your head and settle the tuxedo box on Kozume's lap. 

"I'm still working on it. You'll see it when it's complete." You firmly answer him. 

Kuroo and Kozume glance at one another and shrug. "Looks like you have to wait Kenma. Y/N isn't one to budge when she's made up her mind."

"Looks like it." Kozume stifles a chuckle. 

"Anyway, here is the photo album. Take your pick on the photos." You present a photo album between Kozume and Kuroo after sitting next to Kozume's left side. Kozume carefully opens the album and the first photo he sees is a photo of you three in elementary. 

"Woah, these are super old photos." Kuroo speaks in surprise when he scans the images. The three of you travel down memory lane late into the evening when you all reminiscence the more peaceful times in your lives.

The comforting sound of laughter warms your heart when you share the remainder of the day with Kuroo and Kozume. You forget about social media just for a brief moment when you focus on your time with the ones who matter more than strangers accusing you of being someone you're not.


	24. Excitement

With an exhale and an arm stretch towards your ceiling, you scoot your chair back to marvel at the completed wedding dress. Three weeks later after the dating rumor, both you and Kozume manage to get back on your feet. 

With Kuroo's and Kozume's personal connections, they've managed to track down the IP's of the malicious internet bullies. Neither of them tell you the details of what happened to the girls and guys who overextended their reach against you with their threats. You were too afraid to find out the truth anyway.

Shaking your head to rid of those curious thoughts, you focus on your masterpiece. The dream wedding dress Kozume allowed you to make.

An ivory lace off the shoulder A-line dress with removable straps. The v-cut lace top is detailed with a corset ribbon backing and a white lace flower design. You create a slim fit top to pronounce the waist. Which then creates a beautiful effect for the bottom half that flares out. A similar floral design matches the top. And depending on the lighting, a soft yellow hue emits for a softer look. The color compatible with Kozume's tuxedo. 

You feel the corner of your eyes water when you marvel at the sight. Months and hours of pure devotion and work has made your dreams come alive. The only thing missing is seeing the dress in action. You hope the model Kozume's chosen had a similar sizing to the dress. 

With that thought, you grab your phone off the table and dial Kozume's number. You have to tell him the great news. Within the first ring, you hear Kozume pick up. 

"Y/N?" 

"Kenma!!" You squeal out his name. 

Kozume smiles when he hears Y/N's excitement. He can only assume that she's finished with the wedding dress. He balances his phone between his ear and shoulder while he jots down a few notes in his planner. "Did something good happen?" Kozume pretends to be delusional. 

"Yes! The dress! I just finished it and..." You squeal and speak gibberish when you eye the dress again. Your heart flutters from the sight. "When should I bring it over? Did you finalize a date to record the ending of the game?" 

Kozume lowers his pen and leans back in his chair. He readjusts the phone by holding it with one hand. "Originally we were going to record the scene next month but since you've finished it a month early, we could record it as soon as next week." Kozume hears Y/N's breath hitch in surprise. "Let me ask one of the camera crew members. They should still be here." 

You hear Kozume rustle around on the other end of the call. The sound of a chair squeaking and his footsteps squeaking against the freshly waxed marble flooring. Kozume holds his phone to the side to not directly speak into it. 

"Y/N's just finished the dress earlier than scheduled. Would it be possible to start recording next week?" Kozume's voice is muffled but you hear a faint voice reply to him. You try to not listen in too intently. But you can't help but overhear the date. "The 17th?" Kozume clenches his teeth at the date. 

"There's no way we could do it later or sooner in the week?" Kozume tries to finalize the date with his crew but you hear him quietly sigh under his breath. "Alright. I guess we'll stick with the 17th if that's the only slot open. I'll be sure to do it in a few shots. I have to leave early that day." Kozume finishes his discussion with his team. He walks back over to his desk and you can hear his sigh more clearly. 

"So...the recording is the 17th I'm assuming?" You timidly ask Kozume. He purses his lips and remains silent for a moment. "Tetsurō's birthday." You murmur absentmindedly. 

"Yeah...I was trying to avoid working on that day. But it seems to be unavoidable." Kozume picks up his pen and jots the recording date down. He nervously taps his pen against the paper, leaving several dots behind. 

"Did you have something planned for him?" You try to distract Kozume's mind away from the recording. He leans back in his chair and stares up at the tiled ceiling. 

"Not specifically. I was just going to take him out to a izakaya and let him gorge on whatever he wanted. What about you?" 

You remain quiet. Kuroo's birthday is in a week and you couldn't figure out what to do for him. Knowing him, he'd be happy with you just telling him happy birthday. You're in the same situation you were in with Kozume's birthday. 

"Um..." You shrug despite Kozume unable to see you doing so. The difference between Kuroo and Kozume is that your friendship with Kuroo is more playful. You could give him a note with a free ticket for a single hug and he'll probably love it. 

"I'm sure you being there for his birthday dinner would be enough." Kozume tries to offer a suggestion and you catch yourself smiling from his words. You giggle and press your phone closer to your ear. "Tetsurō said something similar when I struggled to think of a gift for you."

Kozume feels his cheeks heat up slightly. "Oh?" 

You nod your head. "Yeah. He said you'd be happy if I was just there. But I didn't believe that was good enough so I made you a bracelet." 

Kozume lowers his eyes to his wrist. The bracelet still adorned on him. The corner of his lips curl into a smile when he looks at it. "He wasn't lying. Seeing you there was a gift itself. Plus the apple pie. That was delicious." Kozume softly chuckles and you grow shy from his compliments. 

"Anyway, I'm sure you need some rest after all your hard work. I'll send you the address to the recording location. I'll text you throughout the week if anything comes up. Don't hesitate to call me if you need help with Kuroo's gift too." 

"Understood, boss." You playfully reply and the nickname catches Kozume off guard.

"W-What did you just call me?"

"Boss?" You smirk when you catch Kozume stammer. 

"That sounds weird coming from you." Kozume speaks more quietly. You can only imagine how red his face is. 

"Sorry, I won't say it again." You giggle in response. "I should let you go though. Don't work too hard Kenma." 

"I won't. Thank you for your hard work Y/N. I'll see you next week." Kozume smiles before he ends the call. 

"Your girlfriend?" One of the game developers walk up to Kozume's desk with a sly smirk. Kozume shakes his head.

"After the last scandal, I have no desire to get a girlfriend right now. I was on the phone with Y/N." Kozume places his phone down and sits up straight to give his undivided attention to his team member. 

"Ah, the girl friend." The game developer chuckles before handing Kozume the documents of the games current status. Kozume shrugs off the joke and focuses on the task at hand. 

_In a week he'll be able to see Y/N in person again._

He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't looking forward to it. 

He grows excited to see her reveal the wedding dress she's worked so hard on. Her cheerful voice earlier echoes in his mind as he reads over the documents in his hands.


	25. I love you so much

The 17th arrived quicker than you expected.

You're on your way to the recording location after barely sleeping the night before. Your anxiety is up to the roof with the anticipation of the reactions you'll receive from Kozume. He's the main person you want to impress with your work since he requested you personally for this project. 

You're sure it's because of your friendship but nevertheless, Kozume is a client. A client you're hoping to steal his breath away by your skills. 

Breathing in and out deeply, you slowly park your car in the underground garage of the studio building Kozume's rented out for the day. You're careful with the dress when you grab it from the backseat. Protected in a gown bag. 

Taking the elevator up to the building, you're stopped by a security guard. You notice a few rushed workers with flowers and wedding décor run in and out of the building as you give your identification to the guard. He returns your ID and gives you a slight nod before telling you to have a good day. 

Thankfully the space Kozume's rented out is on the first floor of the building. You carefully follow behind the rushed workers down a few hallways before emerging into a large studio room. The green screens ruin the mirage of an outdoor wedding but there isn't much they can do with the current season being in winter. 

The set looks about 90% finished with just a few missing touches. 

You're in awe at how beautiful the flowers and wedding ceremony looks. Standing off to the side, you watch the others work. Their focused expressions and how delicately they take care of the props tells you a lot about their work ethic. 

_This project is just as important to them as it is for Kozume._

You'd figure they would go with fake flowers in a few spots but from the overwhelming smell of floral, it's apparent that they are indeed real. You question how Kozume managed to find these spring flowers during this winter season. 

A soft tone calls out to you from behind. "Excuse me, are you Ms. Y/L/N?" 

You turn around to face a female staff. "Yes, that's me." You fumble out an answer, taken aback that she's speaking to you specifically. 

She forms a warm smile and asks you to follow her. You assume she's leading you to Kozume but you notice she's taking you out of the studio and towards another hallway you walked past. A golden plague on the door she stands in front of says 'dressing room'. She insists you to go inside before bowing and leaving your side. 

"I'll come get you shortly." She smiles once more before hurrying back to the studio. Confused, you stare at the door. 

_Maybe the model is inside?_

You carefully open the door to see two other females inside. The two are busy unpacking their belongings on a long empty table. One side is cluttered with makeup while the other is of hair products. 

"Ah! There's our canvas of the day." The young woman with brunette hair smiles from ear to ear. She walks over to you, grabbing the gown bag out of your hands. The black haired woman takes the bag away from the brunette. 

You're then lead to the chair that sits between the two. 

"Um." You're unsure what to say when you're forced into the chair. Without any personal space, the two examine your face and hair. Confused from the rush of things, you start to realize what's happening. 

**The model is you.**

"Hmm, what do you think Una?" The brunette talks to the black haired woman. "Should I just go for a natural look? The camera wouldn't be focused on her face too intently." 

"I say go all out Sumi. I'm sure Kozume would like to see her prettied up." Una wears a Cheshire smirk when she eyes you. Unsure how to react, you remain quiet with a shy expression. You don't have much of a say about the situation right now. The only thing you can do is go with the flow. 

Thankfully the two converse to one another, leaving you to your own thoughts. 

To think, you are the one to model the dress all along. You curse yourself for not thinking that as a possible scenario. Of course you were going to be the model. Kozume never instructed you a specific dress size for anyone else but yourself. 

You mentally groan in your mind as you watch yourself change in the mirror in front of you.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Kozume is already on set when he arrives in his tuxedo. He circles around the studio to double check everyone's progress. 

"Mr. Kozume, would you like to record your parts before Ms. Y/L/N arrives?" One crew member calls out to Kozume from behind a large camera that stands on a tripod. Kozume excuses himself from another camera crew that's stationed on the side. 

"Sure. Have you seen Kuroo around? He's suppose to be the reverend." Kozume quickly gazes around the studio but he doesn't see the familiar spiky messy black hair that belongs to Kuroo. 

Speak of the devil, Kuroo enters the studio in a traditional black clergy vest outfit. 

He walks over to Kozume with a slight pout. "Y/N made your tuxedo and a wedding dress, yet you couldn't ask her to make this outfit for me?" 

Kozume rolls his eyes playfully. "When will you ever wear that outfit again Kuroo? You're not an actual reverend. This one will do fine. Besides, you won't be in the video for long. I'll make it up to you at tonight's dinner party."

Kuroo sulks and nods his head. "Fine. Where's Y/N anyway? Is she helping the model with the dress?" 

Kozume walks behind Kuroo and gently pushes him towards the front of the makeshift gazebo. "We're starting with my scene so act accordingly." He purposely ignores Kuroo's question.

"W-What do I do? You haven't told me anything other than to show up here." Kuroo looks nervous. An expression Kozume rarely sees. 

"You just stand there and smile while holding this book. Your actual lines are in it. So be sure to open it. It's not a traditional speech since we're unable to depict the name of the female player so your lines are short. You can't screw that up." 

"So all I have to do is stand here, look handsome, and say a few lines?" Kuroo processes Kozume's instructions, drilling it into his mind.

"Yes." Kozume eyes Kuroo's serious face. He forms a small smile and places a hand on Kuroo's shoulder. "Thanks for doing this on your birthday Kuroo." 

Kuroo grins widely at Kozume. "Anything for you, pudding head. I better get a small sliver of the game revenue too." Kuroo laughs at his own joke while Kozume shakes his head and stifles a chuckle. Little does Kuroo know, Y/N appearing as the bride is a surprise for him and Kozume both. 

The cameras begin to roll as Kozume slowly walks up the wedding aisle. A few shots are taken over and over from different angles. The back, the sides, and the front. Kozume stands in front of Kuroo, the nerves starting to eat at him. 

This may all be an act, but with the realistic props and music...it feels like a real wedding.

_Is this the kind of feeling Kozume will have one day when it's his actual wedding day?_

A few gasps spread throughout the studio and with the cameras still rolling, Kozume's and Kuroo's first impressions are caught. 

Y/N nervously keeps her eyes down to avoid the stares. From their reactions she can only assume that the dress is as beautiful as it is on her than it was on the hanger. She was instructed earlier to just walk down the aisle and to stand in front of Kozume. 

Her role did not contain any lines which she's thankful for. 

Slowly, you raise your eyes when you near Kozume. His eyes widen with a glow and his lips part slightly. You try to not look too surprised when you notice the person beside Kozume. 

_Kuroo?_

He must've been roped along with Kozume's plans.

With everyone in their places, the camera crew slowly file closer. Your anxiety skyrockets when you feel several cameras face your direction. 

Kozume's speechless when he takes a good look at you. His eyes trail from the end of your dress, up to your face. 

"You look beautiful." Kozume's words are barely a whisper and thankfully there's a mic hidden underneath his collar to catch his voice. Your cheeks turn a soft shade pink, a nervous smile forming on your face. Kozume reaches out to grab your hands. He holds them gingerly and Kuroo then initiates his small introduction speech where he welcomes the "guests". 

You're unable to properly focus on what Kuroo's saying. Kozume's speechless reaction takes your entire attention. 

"Would you like to read your vows Mr. Kozume?" Kuroo remains professional in his acting. He smiles fondly at Kozume who nods his head. Kozume's golden cat-like eyes move from Kuroo to you. He gulps and you notice how his hands slightly tremble. 

You're nervous as well but you want to comfort Kozume. He's always comforted you since the beginning. It's your turn to do so. Especially with how important this recording is. 

You give his hands a slight squeeze, mustering a bigger smile for him. With your nerves too focused on the cameras around you, you didn't get a good look at Kozume. The suit fits him perfectly. No one could wear the tux better than he can. 

Not even Kuroo if he tried. You prefer darker colors on Kuroo anyway.

You mouth the words, "You're cute." 

His eyes widen slightly but he casts his eyes down. He seems to forget his lines and instead he speaks from his heart. "You know, it's hard for me to remember my vows when you look so breathtaking." His words are shaky and innocent. 

Seeing Kozume this shy reminds you of the night you two had a sleep over back in middle school. 

You only pretended to fall asleep after you gave him a hug. 

Even though you couldn't see how nervous he was back then, you felt his ragged breath and the hesitance he had when he leaned his head on yours.

His golden eyes slowly return to look at you. A look of determination flickers in his eyes. You feel his hand firmly squeeze yours. "I always find another reason to love you. Even on a special day like this." Kozume lightheartedly chuckles. You watch his cheeks turn a shade pink and he clears his throat. 

"Sorry if I start to ramble. You've just made me speechless." Kozume quickly apologizes before he stares deeply into your eyes. He adjusts his hands for the two of you to interlace your fingers. "I want to start off by saying thank you."

You quietly stare at Kozume, intently listening to him. 

You're unsure if this is part of the script or if Kozume is making things up as he goes. "Thank you for entering my life and making it a million times brighter. I can't imagine what my life would be like without you. It probably would be boring if I were to be honest." He faintly chuckles, an innocent smile on his face. 

"I'd probably close myself off in a room, grinding on video games for hours. Missing an opportunity to meet someone like you." Kozume's eyes soften when he directs his smile at you. 

"But, thankfully you entered my life. We've seen and gone through a lot together. We've even grown up together into the adults we are today. If you were to tell me that I'd someday marry my bestfriend, I'd say you're lying." Kozume's words seemed strained at the end. His fingers grip tightly around yours and you watch his eyes gloss over. 

"I feared that someone else would come along and sweep you away while I struggled to understand my emotions. You know how dunce I am when it comes to love." An exasperated sigh leaves from Kozume. 

"But you were patient. You waited for me to realize my emotions and you accepted me with open arms. I can't thank you enough for choosing me. For loving me. For believing in us and seeing that what we have is forever. I love you. I love you so much and I hope you understand the amount of love I have for you is overwhelming." 

The tone and expression in Kozume's eyes seem too real to be all an act. Your heart aches and the tears kiss your cheeks as they litter your face. The emotional rollercoaster you're going through confuses you. It feels as if Kozume is genuinely confessing his love for you. 

The moment Kozume sees Y/N's tears is when his own tears trickle down his face slowly. 

Kuroo takes that moment to speak up again. 

"Kenma, do you take (your pronoun) to be your wife?" 

Kozume tightens his hold on your hands. With a confident tone, he eyes you. "I do." 

Kuroo then turns to look at you. He wears a small smile when he sees your tears. 

"Do you take Kenma to be your husband?" 

Thankfully, you don't have to physically say 'I do.' You return your gaze on Kozume, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. A moment of silence fills the studio before Kuroo declares the exchange of rings. 

A ring barrier appears in front of you and Kozume. He reaches for your ring first. His trembling hand carefully slides the diamond ring onto your left ring finger. You then do the same with a simple silver band on Kozume's left ring finger. 

Kuroo then closes off the ceremony with announcing Kozume to kiss the bride. 

Your stomach flips and your heart thumps against your chest when you watch Kozume slowly lean forward. His eyes close and you're unsure how close he'll get to your face. You naturally close your eyes when you feel his presence inch closer. 

_Will he really kiss you?_

The soft tickle of his breath stops short of your lips. A familiar vanilla scent lingers from him when he holds his position for a few seconds. The seconds feels like minutes as you recall your youthful memories of Kozume. The scent stirring up the past. 

Kozume's breath quivers when he reluctantly pulls away after being so close to Y/N's lips. 

_He's so close, yet so far._

With the shared "kiss", the corners of Kozume's lips twitch into a smile. He whispers an 'I love you' before turning to face the aisle in front of him. You follow his lead, walking down the aisle as dressed up guests shower the two of you with flower petals. 

After walking off the set, you hear one of the directors shout 'cut!'. An eruption of claps fill the studio and you feel Kozume release his hold on your hand. 

Now with the cameras off of you, you release a dragged out exhale. You then wipe the strayed tears on your face and glance over at Kozume who's gone quiet. His eyes look lonely and distant. 

"Kenma?" You call out to him in a whisper. He easily hears your voice call out to him through the eruption of conversation in the studio. "You should become an actor. I was really moved." 

Kozume lightheartedly chuckles. His fingers run through his hair and he shrugs. "It was nothing. Anyway, I should go and look over the footage." Kozume leaves your side before you can say anything more. You're unsure if you're imagining things but it seems like Kozume was trying to get away from you. 

Kuroo watches Kozume dart past him in a hurry. He raises an eyebrow when he follows Kozume with his eyes. Not stopping him, Kuroo makes a beeline to his goal. To walk over to Y/N. 

His heart skips the closer he walks over to her. He personally thinks the dress is even more beautiful because of the person who's wearing it. Kuroo quietly sneaks up behind Y/N. He gently places his hand on the palm of her back. 

"I'm here to sweep you off of your feet, Mrs. Kozume." Kuroo wears a devilish grin as he teases you. You startle from the sight of Kuroo beside you. Processing his words, you roll your eyes with a small smile. 

"I don't think that's something a reverend should do, Tetsurō." You smoothly step to the side to avoid his lingering hand that rests on your back. 

"Playing hard to get?" Kuroo eyes you with a smirk. "Could I use the excuse that it's my birthday to make you stick around?" 

Rolling your eyes again, you stifle a laugh. "I actually have a gift for you. So I don't think you need to use such a lame excuse to make me stick around." 

Kuroo wears a look of surprise, his eyes glowing at the idea that Y/N's gotten him something. 

"What is it?" He curiously asks. 

"You'll have to wait till we wrap things up here." 

Kuroo sulks at your response. But he doesn't have much of a choice. You're then called out by one of the camera crew members. "Ms. Y/L/N can you come here for some promotional photos?" 

"Looks like I'm being pulled away from you Tetsurō." You eye him playfully. 

"Seems like that's the reoccurring pattern. It's alright, I'll patiently wait for you Y/N." Kuroo ushers you to go. 

He slides his hands into his pockets as he watches Y/N rejoin with Kozume. From a non-bias viewpoint, the two look perfect together. 

He feels a slight ache in his chest when he recalls Kozume's "vows". 

_Kozume's "vows" was his undying confession to Y/N._

None of it was scripted and that reason alone causes a pain in Kuroo's chest. 

_How is he going to pursue a relationship with Y/N knowing how hurt Kozume will be?_

He'd feel like a shit friend.


	26. What do we do Tetsurō?

After switching out of the wedding dress, you get back into your sweater, denim jeans, and laced combat boots. You remove the accessories from your hair, ears, fingers, neck, and wrists. The magic of being a bride wears away when you look at your reflection. 

The makeup still beautifully applied on your face looks back at you. A small sigh escapes from you when you think back on the photoshoot moments ago. A sadness loomed over Kozume and you definitely felt it. His forced smiles and adoring eyes on you were only for the cameras. 

But now that you're alone in the dressing room-- away from the lights and cameras, you can rationally think about everything. 

There's no way Kozume was putting on an act during the recording section. He was genuinely speechless the moment he saw you walk down the aisle. His tears are very much real when he reacted to your own tears. 

Pursing your lips, you grab your coat off a hanger and twirl a cream colored gingham scarf around you. 

Your heart clenches when your thoughts stray to his words.

_"I love you so much and I hope you understand the amount of love I have for you is overwhelming."_

That sentence alone caused you to break into tears before and even now. You find your vision blur and the tears randomly invade you. 

"What the fuck?" You whisper out. A faint knock echoes from the door and you muster a response. "Come in!"

The person who knocks, pops their head into your dressing room. The smile falls off Kuroo's face when he notices you flick the tears away. You couldn't exactly hide them from him when the mirror gives away your reflection despite your back facing him.

Kuroo hurries over to Y/N's side, placing his large hands on her shoulders. He carefully turns Y/N around and peers at her face. "Why are you crying?" He looks around to see no one but Y/N in here. He crosses the possibility that someone made fun of her.

"I...I don't know." You mutter out, forcing yourself to not frown. You stubbornly don't want Kuroo to see this weak side of you more than he already has. "Are you ready to go?" You change the subject, avoiding Kuroo's eyes. 

"Hey." His low deep tone paralyzes you and you're enchanted by his voice. Kuroo gingerly lifts your chin up to look at him directly. The worry in his eyes are apparent when he stares deeply into your eyes. The slight crease of his brows and the frown on his face is all too much for you to handle. He looks absolutely worried to death. 

It's unfair how easily Kuroo still has you wrapped around his finger. 

"You know I care about you, right?" 

You respond with silence. The only thing you can really do is maintain eye contact with him. 

"I want you to be comfortable enough with me again to voice your feelings. You also don't have to pretend to be so strong Y/N. I know you're a crybaby through and through." He forms a small smirk and quietly chuckles. His hand pulls away from your chin to stroke your hair ever so delicately. The look of adoration glimmers in his eyes. 

Kuroo drags out a sigh. He seems to have his own troubles too.

Nibbling your bottom lip, you tighten your hands into fists. "You too." 

Kuroo raises an eyebrow and pulls his hand back to his side. "What?" 

"You can tell me what's on your mind too." You shyly mutter under your breath before finding your muscles regain in your legs. You walk past him. "Let's not make Kenma wait too long." 

Kuroo forms a look of surprise before he turns around to see Y/N disappear. Her words causes a flutter in his chest and he finds himself smiling like an idiot. "Wait up!" Kuroo hurries after Y/N.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Kozume texts the address to the restaurant in the group chat. The three of you riding in your own cars. You clench tightly on the steering wheel when you think about your situation. Months before, you were happily in a friendship with Azumane and had very little to worry about.

Not long after, your grandfather had passed and you decided to attend a ten year high school reunion with the push from Azumane to get your mind off things. You met Kuroo again. The person you believed you'd marry one day. 

It was a bit rocky at first since you adamantly wanted nothing to do with him. But Kuroo stubbornly tried to force himself back in, to only realize his approach was wrong. Then Kozume threw in a surprise to hire you as a designer. 

In the mix of things, Azumane revealed to you that he had feelings for you. You felt guilty for not feeling the same while also growing confused on your own emotions towards Kuroo. But with work and the stress of your friendship, you had little time to actually think about yourself for once. 

When in the past, you'd do nothing but think about your own emotions. 

Now that you're done with the project and you've settled things with Azumane to remain friends.

_What are your thoughts about Kuroo?_

It's obvious that he still loves you. 

But...after today, you realize there's a possibility that someone else loves you. 

**Kenma Kozume.**

You panic when you approach that thought process. You neared it earlier in the dressing room but you grew frightful at the thought. It's one thing when Azumane had feelings for you, but it's completely different when it comes to Kozume. 

Because for you, Kozume is much more than just a friend. He was a friend to you and Kuroo both. A best friend the two of you shared many memories with.

**Someone who's in a league of their own.**

If there was another word for best friend, Kozume would be that. 

_But, when? When did he have those kinds of emotions towards you?_

You force yourself to think but you can only revert back to his vows. He spoke from his heart. 

The reality of it all is that his vows never met reality. The reality you two are in. 

_"We've seen and gone through a lot together. We've even grown up together into the adults we are today."_

The two of you met as young kids in elementary school and attended middle and high school together. The amount of times you'd hang out and you somehow always found a way to get hurt. Kuroo would scold you but Kozume would silently tend to your injuries. 

He was always silently supporting you but you never noticed. You took his small actions of kindness for granted. Because you were blind sighted by the small things.

_"I feared that someone else would come along and sweep you away while I struggled to understand my emotions. You know how dunce I am when it comes to love."_

This line. 

It would've been something Kozume would say if you were never swayed away by Kuroo. Kozume must've not understood his emotions even back then until something big caused him to realize it all. That said big thing probably being your relationship with Kuroo.

_"But you were patient. You waited for me to realize my emotions and you accepted me with open arms. I can't thank you enough for choosing me. For loving me. For believing in us and seeing that what we have is forever. I love you. I love you so much and I hope you understand the amount of love I have for you is overwhelming."_

This line as well.

Kozume would've repeated these words in a real confession if he were to have his way. 

You slow the car into a parking spot, turning the engine off. A sadness drapes over you. Resting your head on the steering wheel, you grip the leather wheel. A loud frustrating scream escapes from your lips. 

You pray this is all over speculating but in the back of your mind, you know this is a possibility. You've never seen another girl besides Kozume. The reason must be because his heart belongs to someone else.

That someone else probably being you.

_Why? Why? Why? Why?_

This becomes an obstacle in your way. 

_If you were to fall back in love with Kuroo, how could you pretend to not know Kozume's feelings for you?_

_How is he able to hold this emotion to himself?_

**He's probably hurt.**

He probably feels foolish for loving someone for this long with full intention of knowing he will never have his feelings returned. 

He also probably feels guilty for loving the same person his best friend loves. 

This kind of situation can only leave two people happy while the other suffers. Or maybe three people can suffer by not acting on their emotions. 

But you know the latter will never happen. Kuroo or Kozume will sacrifice their emotions to see their friend happy. You'd do the same if you were in their shoes. 

Clenching your teeth, you grind them together from frustration and hopelessness. 

Maybe it would've been better if you never reconnected with them. The two could've moved on and found someone else. 

There's a tap on your window that pulls you out of your thoughts. You lift your head off the steering wheel and turn to look at your left side. Kozume looks at you with furrowed brows. 

"Are you alright?" He mutters from the other side of the driver window. 

You get ahold of yourself and reach over to the passenger side to grab Kuroo's present before exiting out of your car. Kozume steps to the side to let you out. 

Biting down on your lip, you stare at Kozume directly in his golden cat-like eyes. He grows nervous from your intensity. 

"Kenma, can you be honest with me about something?" 

Anxious, Kozume nods his head slowly. "Of course." 

You inhale deeply before asking the question that scratches at the back of your mind. "Do you... love me?" 

Kozume's expression changes to one of surprise. His eyes widen and you hear his breath hitch. There's a silent response that feels like hours but it's only been seconds. Kuroo who silently heard the question, quietly walks over to Kozume. He wears a small smile as he rests his hand on Kozume's shoulder. 

"Looks like she found out your secret Kenma." 

You furrow your brows together and flick your attention over to Kuroo. "You knew?" 

Kuroo awkwardly crinkles his nose and dryly chuckles. "Let's go inside and talk. I'm also starving. Do you think I'll get a free dish if I told them it was my birthday?" Kuroo lightens up the mood with a change of conversation. Kozume excuses himself to head into the izakaya first. You and Kuroo both watch Kozume walk away. 

The tense air returning between you two. 

"So, how did you figure it out Y/N?" 

You lower your eyes down to your boots. "I'd be an idiot if I believed his vows were all an act. He was silently confessing his feelings for me, wasn't he?" 

Kuroo dryly laughs. He runs his fingers through his hair and exhales. "That's what I believe." 

"What do we do Tetsurō?" 

"We?" Kuroo raises his eyebrows when he looks down to Y/N. He falters slightly when he sees the frown on her face. 

You extend Kuroo's gift in front of him. A bouquet of pink and red camellia's.

It's not common for men to receive bouquets as gifts but you didn't know how else to convey your feelings. The feelings you've harbored from your fear that he'd abandon you again. 

You've repeated to yourself several times that you're unsure of your feelings for Kuroo. But in actuality, you know yourself better than anyone else. 

Kuroo gingerly takes the bouquet from you. He eyes them with a gentle smile. 

"The pink camellias symbolize the longing for someone and the red ones symbolize love, passion, and deep desire." You whisper the meaning of his gift. Kuroo slowly processes your words and you watch his smile turn into one of shock. His eyes widen in disbelief and he quickly tears his eyes away from the bouquet. 

His lips part slightly when he sees your lips tremble and the tears litter your face. 

"I still love you Tetsurō." The words croak out of your throat. 

"No matter how much I try to move on and deny my feelings for you..." Pausing to take a deep breath, you then continue. "You're still the person my heart wavers for." 

You wipe the flowing tears from your cheeks with your fingers. "Now I'm eaten up by guilt with the fact that Kenma feels this way about me. He's important to you and I both. I don't feel okay with hurting him again." 

Your words become more slurred as you sob louder. Forcing your eyes close, you cry out. "So what do we do now Tetsurō?" Your shoulders shake violently as you slowly squat down. The feeling in your legs give out from under you. 

"What do we do?" Your question becomes a soft plea for help.


	27. What do I do?

"Wait." Kuroo's voice is strained and he lowers himself to look at Y/N who's curled into a ball. He carefully lays the bouquet on the sidewalk. Y/N squats on the concrete of the parking lot. The two separated on different platforms. 

His hands tremble when he slowly extends them to her shoulders. Giving her shoulders a squeeze, he tries to calm her violent shaking all the while calming his anxiety filled palms. "Did...Did you just say you love me?" His speaks slowly as he tries to process his own question. 

"Tetsurō." Y/N speaks sharply. She raises her head to look at him with a tear stained face. 

He faintly snickers and apologizes. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't feel really happy. But I am." He releases a sigh of relief. Kuroo casts his eyes to the side and doesn't look at anything specific. "I was afraid there wouldn't be a second chance for me." 

Kuroo slowly returns his gaze on you, an innocent smile forms on his face and your tears momentarily stop. You're in awe at the sweet expression he makes in front of you. 

"I love you too Y/N." He sweetly says these words to you.

The sentence sends a jolt to your heart and you're left feeling bittersweet. You didn't know whether you should give into the happiness. The situation with Kozume still lingered in the air. 

"We'll figure this out together. Of course I'm sure you understand that not all three of us will come out happy in the end. Kenma will be hurt no matter what we do. But, let's go hear him out. I'm sure he's wondering what's taking us so long. Or maybe he's thankful for the moment of quietness to himself." Kuroo picks up his bouquet and extends a hand out to you when he stands on his feet. 

You carefully place your hand in his and he firmly squeezes your hand before lifting you up. You expect Kuroo to release your hand after helping you up. But, Kuroo laces his fingers with yours and quietly walks you towards the izakaya. 

Neither of you say a word. 

Your hearts are full and there's a weight lifted off your chest. 

The feelings you two ended ten years ago never really stopped and you feel a sense of relief. Even if it's momentarily. 

The way your hand fits perfectly in his causes your heart to skip. 

You selfishly enjoy this moment before anticipating the events that will escalate in the izakaya. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

"Hello, I reserved a table for three earlier this week under the name Kenma." Kozume enters the izakaya with his mind a mess. He feels nauseous and scared all at once. When Y/N confronted him about his feelings, the first thing he thought of was to run away. 

"Follow me this way." The host forms a gentle smile at Kozume. He then leads him towards a table that's secluded from the others. A sliding divider door separates Kozume from the rest of the restaurant. Originally Kozume reserved this seating for the three to enjoy their time together without other patrons chatters invading theirs.

Now he regrets doing so.

The room seems to be sound proof despite how noisy it is outside of the divider. 

"Are you guests on their way here, sir?" The host asks Kozume who's taking his coat off. 

"Yes. If you see a tall guy with black spikey hair, you can guide him here. There should be a young lady with him too." Kozume refrains from describing Y/N. Just thinking about her is causing his stomach to twist. The host nods and leaves Kozume alone in the secluded room. 

With a moment of silence, Kozume runs his hands through his hair, grabbing a handful of his blonde locks. He groans under his breath and ruffles his hair messily. "What do I do?" He whispers under his breath. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, he groans again. 

Y/N was never suppose to find out about his feelings. If she ever did, things would get complicated. It was complicated already when Kuroo found out. Maybe he overdid it today with the vows. 

**But...damn was she beautiful today.**

The dress on her frame was a sight to see. It would've been impossible for him to not be shaken up by her beauty. If he had it his way, he'd propose to her and skip the confession and dates. 

_But Kozume knows better._

This isn't a made up world like his dating simulator. He doesn't get to control Y/N's feelings for him. There's no save file to go back and restart to. 

Kozume dryly chuckles at himself for referencing his life as if it was a video game. 

His shoulders slump and he's back at square one. 

_What should he tell her? Should he lie?_

It's impossible for Y/N to believe that his feelings are not a thing. Lying would be worse. But, he doesn't have the courage to discuss this with her right now. Especially not on a day like today. 

Today is Kuroo's birthday. 

Yet Kozume's made the day about him from the very start. With his recording and now this. 

"UGH." Kozume loudly groans out. He's getting frustrated and when he gets like this, he's much more vocal and whiney. Pulling his hands away from his hair, he balls them into fists and hits it against the wooden table. 

"Kenma?" 

The soft tone of Y/N rings towards his ears. Kozume's too afraid to open his eyes to look at her. 

_How long was he in deep thought for? How much did she see before she said something?_

Kozume starts to question himself instead of responding. He feels a faint presence sit down beside him. 

_Kuroo? Or maybe Y/N?_

Kozume still keeps his eyes shut. He's too distracted with questions and grows uncertain if he can stay here for long without feeling awkward. Kozume feels an elbow nudge into his shoulder. "What are you in the mood for?" Kuroo's voice rings out from beside him. 

Fluttering his eyes open, he turns to look at his right. Kuroo sits beside him with his eyes scanning the menu. Y/N keeps her eyes down on her own menu as she sits across Kozume. The two are trying their best to act normally. 

Parting his lips slightly, Kozume picks up the menu that's beside him. 

"Looks like they don't have mackerel here for you Tetsurō. Or any apple pies as a dessert for you Kenma." Y/N speaks up as she flips through the menu. 

Kozume flicks his eyes over to Y/N. He notices the slight redness in her nose and the gloss over her eyes.

_She must've cried outside._

Guilt eats at Kozume and he forces himself to look at the menu again. 

"Well, it's not unusual to not have apple pies in izakaya's. The mackerel however, is a whole different story." Kuroo puckers out his lips, pretending to pout. 

"They have other seafoods though." Kozume notices a list of sashimi. He points at the list on Kuroo's menu. The three discuss about the different dishes before calling over a waiter. 

After finalizing the dishes they want to share, Y/N pulls the screen door to the side and waves over a waiter. She places the order for the three and the waiter hurries off. 

Kuroo looks around the divided space in awe. The theme reminds him of a traditional Japanese home in the country side. A tatami floor, simple screen walls, a low brown wooden table, and cushions for them to sit on. There's also a little shelf for them to put their shoes in. 

Kuroo grins when he looks at Kozume. "This feels like I'm at my grandparents house."

Y/N curiously looks around and eyes a painting of a flower vase. "It's cute." She forms a small smile. 

Kozume nods his head without looking at the two. He hides his balled up fists under the table. His fingers clenching and unclenching into his palms. Kuroo and Y/N try to carry the conversation but they can only talk for so long before an awkward silence forms. 

"About my question earlier..." Y/N speaks directly to Kozume. "We can talk about it when you feel comfortable Kenma. I'm sorry for bringing it up so randomly without any thought on how it would make you feel." 

Kozume slowly raises his eyes up from the table to look at Y/N. She wears an apologetic expression. Her lips twitch into a frown and she whispers another sorry. Kuroo quietly sneaks a glance at Kozume. 

Kozume parts his lips slightly and darts his eyes to the side. He's too shy to hold his eye contact with Y/N. "Thank you." 

Y/N relaxes her shoulders when she hears Kozume respond to her. Kuroo smiles at the exchange. 

"Alright! Is it okay if we cheers to my birthday now?" Kuroo raises his glass up towards the middle of the table. Kozume and Y/N both grab hold of their drinks and clink them against Kuroo's. He grins widely when the two shout happy birthday. 

It may have been awkward earlier, but Kuroo's mind is only focused on the confession Y/N's slyly inserted in when she presented his gift. Kozume notices the bouquet that sits on the table next to Kuroo. 

"Where did the flowers come from?" Kozume points at the bouquet. Kuroo turns to look at the bouquet. He picks them up gingerly and smiles widely. "Y/N got them for me. It's my birthday gift." 

"Flowers?" Kozume turns to look at Y/N who nods and awkwardly giggles. He's positive there's a special meaning behind the bouquet but he didn't know much about flowers to understand the meaning. 

"I've never received flowers before so this is a first." Kuroo stares at the flowers with lit up eyes. 

"Don't fall in love with them too much. They're going to eventually dry up and die." Y/N snickers under her breath. 

"Way to be too honest Y/N." Kuroo scoffs with a smirk.

Kozume watches the two exchange words. His feelings become bittersweet. He's happy the two are starting to converse like old times. But at the same time, his heart does ache. 

The conversation switches over to food when the dishes arrive all at once, filling up the table with beautiful colors and alluring smells. Kuroo's birthday dinner goes smoothly for the remainder of the night. 

Surprisingly, he did get a free dessert for his birthday as well.


	28. I'm sorry

Kozume quietly enters his empty house after leaving the small birthday party he's shared with Kuroo and Y/N. He strolls straight over to his bedroom and robotically makes his way towards his computer. 

It's going to be impossible for him to sleep. 

There's too much going through his mind. 

_Y/N. His feelings for her. The turnout of his friendship between his two bestfriends._

He needs a moment of escape from reality and the best way out is to play video games. Turning on his computer, he scrolls through his emails while he waits for the computer to boot up. The photographer from today sends a few of the images they captured today. 

Kozume's heart stops when he sees the possible photos for their promotional ad. The photoshop team hasn't blurred out Y/N's face yet. 

His trembling fingers hover over his phone and he pinches the screen to zoom onto her face. 

The way she looks and smiles at him causes him unbelievable pain. 

The question he hates most resurfaces in his mind. 

_Why couldn't he realize his feelings sooner?_

Hissing at the thought, he turns his phone off and inputs his password into his PC.

**Kozume needs to stop.**

He needs to think about something else other than her for the night. 

Pulling up his stream setup, he decides to do a surprise livestream. Streaming might get his mind off things when he interacts with his fanbase. Kozume turns on his neon sign backdrop for some kind of lighting. The room is still dark besides the yellow neon sign of a pudding cup behind him. 

He then gets up to change into something more comfortable. A basic black hoodie and gray sweatpants. Not wanting his bangs to get in the way of gaming, he reaches for a hair tie on his desk. He easily ties a small ponytail by collecting his bangs together in the center of his head, the remainder of his hair on the sides of his face. It's rare to see so much of Kozume's forehead. He then finishes the look with a pair of golden circle-framed glasses. 

They weren't prescription glasses. He just liked to wear them to distract others from his forehead. 

With his appearance done and the setup ready, he starts the livestream.

_"KENMA!!"_

_"_ 😮 _Surprise stream?!"_

_"MY GOD. HE'S SO FUCKING CUTE."_

The chat box begins to flood the second he's turned on his stream for the night. 

Kozume looks over at his second monitor at the chatlog. He quietly welcomes everyone who's joining.

_"Is something wrong Kenma? You don't look too good._ 🙁 _"_

_"Hard day at work?"_

_"You weren't active as much today on Tweeter or Picstagram._ 😢 _"_

He reads the comments and it's no surprise that his sadness is easily noticeable by his long time viewers. His lips form a thin line and he tears his eyes away from the screen. Not wanting to acknowledge their worries, he loads up a random game.

"I'm sorry if I'm more quiet today. There's a lot on my mind and I just needed a distraction." Kozume murmurs into the microphone. His hands naturally relaxes when he waits in a game lobby. 

_"We're here for you Kenma!"_

_"Who do I have to fight?!_ 😠 _"_

Kozume notices the comment mentioning they would fight someone for him. He quickly mentions that comment. "I'd prefer if no one uses violence. I also doubt you'd attempt the fight towards me since I'm the reason for my depressing state." Kozume looks away from the chat to select his fighter. Ten seconds remain before the 1v1 starts. 

Focused on the three point match game, Kozume doesn't have the luxury to look at the chatlog. Several question marks and raised eyebrow emoji's are being spammed. Because of how discrete Kozume is being, no one has a clue to why he's acting in such a way. 

He didn't even need the distraction of the chat to make him lose the first match. His head is clouded over and it seems like for the first time, video games couldn't distract him. Half an hour goes by and each game he enters becomes a loss. 

Frustrated, he backs out of the game completely. The stream is only of a black screen and a tiny webcam of him. Kozume places a hand over his eyes, grumbling slightly under his breath. 

Worry is being spammed on his chat and others are spamming for everyone to contact close ones to Kozume. They feared how Kozume is reacting on the stream. His lack of interaction, the way he's unable to focus, and how gloomy he is in general. 

Others would see it as an overreaction from his community but they know him just as well as he does. 

**Kozume is definitely out of it.**

_"Kuroo! Everyone spam his social media. Kenma looks like he needs someone to talk to."_

_"Wasn't it Kuroo's birthday today? Did something happen between them two?"_

The chat is split with the actions of contacting Kuroo and making speculations. 

_"What about Y/N?"_

_"NO! WE CAN'T CONTACT HER._ 😣 _"_

_"Put your feelings aside for a moment. Those two have confirmed they're best friends."_

_"I DON'T BELIEVE THAT. THEY'RE PROBABLY DATING AND SHE UPSETTED HIM."_

Kozume leans back in his chair and stares at his ceiling. He's unsure where his mind is right now. He figured playing video games would distract him but it's doing the opposite.

_Maybe he should take a night walk? Maybe sleep it off?_

This irritable feeling tugs a frown on his lips. He folds his arms onto his desk and hides his face in them. 

The viewers become hopeless on their end of the screen. Several spam crying emojis while others beg viewers to contact Kuroo and Y/N.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

You let out a groan when you're tasked to drop Kuroo off at his place. The fact that Kozume allowed him to order whatever he wanted caused Kuroo to go overboard with the alcohol. Typically, Kuroo is one to manage his alcohol well, but tonight is another story. 

You weren't sure if he drank so much to drown his thoughts away or to celebrate his victory of gaining a second chance. 

The guard insisted he'll take Kuroo back to his place when he sees you struggle to walk Kuroo into the building.

"Don't worry, I can walk myself." Kuroo slurs his words when you slip your arm away from him to lean him against the security guard. 

"Shut up. You can barely talk right now Tetsurō." You grumble out, eyeing him with knit brows. You bow to the security guard for helping you. Kuroo waves a goodbye when he's being pulled away towards the elevator. 

"I love you Y/N. Thank you for--" Kuroo hiccups and chuckles at himself. "For bringing me here. Drive safe~" His voice is a sing-song tune. The corner of your lips curl and you can only shake your head in response. 

_A drunk Kuroo is always adorable._

But you'd much rather go home and lay in bed. Your mind is heavy with other thoughts besides a drunk Kuroo. Before you can walk out of the building completely, you hear Kuroo whine out your name. He grips both sides of the elevator to stop it from closing.

"YOU DIDN'T SAY IT BACK!" Kuroo shouts and hiccups in between his words. 

Turning around, you raise an eyebrow. "Say what?" 

"That you love me." A pout forms on Kuroo's face. You stare at him in bafflement. To think Kuroo turned 29 tonight and he's pouting like a child. The security guard blushes from the conversation but he keeps his eyes down on the elevator marble floor. "Say it Y/N." Kuroo slurs his words and he points his pointer finger towards you. 

Nibbling your bottom lip, you sigh and give into his request. "I love you." You sheepishly say the words and you're positive he's unable to hear it because of how softly you said it. 

But reading your lips is all he needs to make him smile. Satisfied, he releases his hands from the elevator doors and you watch it close successfully. 

"Such a baby." You whisper under your breath with a smile. 

With Kuroo safely home, it is your turn to do the same. 

You feel several notifications buzz in your coat pocket. One after another. The amount startles you when your entire screen is spammed with mentions. You're not one to usually get tagged in posts so you kept the alerts on whenever you did get mentioned. Now you regret it when your phone starts to lag from the flood of notifications. 

Scanning through the mentions quickly, you realize that they're viewers of Kozume's. Each one is requesting you to call him. Something along the lines of him not being okay during the livestream. 

Feeling a moment of panic, you quickly run to your car while pulling up his livestream. Frantic, you miss the key slot to your car more than once. Kozume's livestream loads on your phone and all you can see is pitch darkness. Your eyes scan the screen to then see a small webcam on the top left corner. 

You weren't sure what you were looking at. The lack of lighting makes it hard to decipher. At that moment, Kozume lifts his head up from his arms and you get a clearer view of his face. He wore such a devastating expression.

One with sadness, worry, frustration, any negative emotion mixes into a single expression on Kozume's face. 

You're grateful to have his address still on your phone from the night Kuroo texted you on Kozume's birthday. Reversing your car out of the parking lot and switching it over to drive, you try your best to safely get to Kozume's place without panicking. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Kozume blankly stares at the lit up computer screen in front of him. He's deep in his own thoughts, forgetting about the livestream that continues to stream. He's tracked in a lot of views more than normal when his name starts to trend on Tweeter. 

Many viewers worry to death about their favorite person. They feel hopeless not being able to do anything and they feared the worse will happen if Kozume cuts off the stream. His unawareness and deadpan expression is depressing to watch. 

Completely out of it, Kozume doesn't hear his bedroom door being unlocked. He only then notices when his room light magically turns on without his doing so. He panics for a moment. 

_Did someone break into his home?_

He's quick to stand up from his spot with his arms raised in a fighting position. He reflexively throws a punch but a hand stops him. His eyes widen when he sees Y/N stand there out of breath. Her cheeks are red and her hair clings onto her face from her sweat. 

"Kenma, what are you doing? You're worrying everyone." You point over to his second monitor where you see several messages in a chatlog. 

"H-How are you here?" Kozume feels Y/N lower his fists to his side. 

"I'll explain once you apologize to your viewers and end the stream." Catching your breath, you walk away from him. Kozume blinks a few times before he turns around to stare at his second monitor. He's tracked in well over 100K people. He grows startled by the numbers. 

_"THANK GOODNESS. SOMEONE CAME FOR HIM."_

_"CRISIS AVERTED."_

_"KENMA._ 😭 _"_

_"WHATEVER YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. JUST KNOW WE LOVE AND CARE FOR YOU."_

Kozume curses himself for causing a scene. He clears his throat and recollects himself. With a short apology to those watching, he doesn't stretch out his farewell for long. The person he's been trying to not think about is here in front of him right now. 

Cutting his computer off, he looks around his room for Y/N. She leans her back against his dresser, catching her breath. 

Kozume gets up from his seat and hands her a tissue box for her to wipe the sweat off her forehead. 

"You gave everyone a fright Kenma. What were you thinking?" Y/N quickly goes into lecturing mode. She takes a few pieces of tissue paper and begins to blot it against her forehead. Kozume stares at her in silence. He drops his gaze down to his feet. 

_He wasn't thinking at all._

You stare at Kozume who's grown silent. "Sorry, I shouldn't lecture you when you're feeling like this." 

Kozume raises his eyes when he hears you apologize. Pursing your lips, you exhale. "I was just worried about you. I figured you wouldn't open the door so I had to run across the street to wake your parents up. I feared they wouldn't have a spare key to your place but your mom kindly gave it to me. She tried to pester me why I needed it but I didn't have much time to explain." 

Your words come to an end and you look over to Kozume. His eyes are glossed over as they waver under your gaze. You notice the way Kozume tries his best to hold back his tears. Unsure what's going through his mind, you can only think of one thing to do. 

Placing the tissue paper down on the dresser, you lean off of the dresser to wrap your arms around Kenma's waist. He paralyzes under your touch and you hear a faint breath escape from him. "Don't scare me like that again Kenma." 

There's a silence between you.

The sound of Kozume's heart pounding against your ear makes you aware of your actions on him. What you're doing is probably more damage than good for him right now. 

You slowly pull away but Kozume's arms hold you still. He rests his forehead against your shoulder, his hair tickling the side of your face. Kozume remains quiet but he gives your body a slight squeeze. 

There's a silent sniffle from Kozume and you feel his body tremble in your arms. 

"I don't know whether to love or hate the fact that you're here right now." Kozume strains to find his voice. His arms firmly tighten around your waist. You find it hard to breath with how tightly he squeezes you. Noticing your shortness of breath, Kozume loosens his hold. "I'm sure the answer to your question earlier tonight is obvious now." 

Kozume's deep voice loudly rings in your ears. "I wanted to keep this to myself until the day I die. But it's no use if you caught me." He bites down hard on his bottom lip, causing the area to bleed. Kozume raises his head off of your shoulder. Despite how silly and adorable his hair style looks right now, the next words he says to you is strictly serious and full of courage. 

"I'm sorry Y/N. I do love you." 

Not an ounce of hesitance is in Kozume's words when he declares his emotions. 

"I'm sorry." Kozume repeats his apology over and over.

You can't do anything but watch him apologize and break into tears. His tears splatter against your face and you can't muster the strength to help dry his tears. 

Your heart cracks into several pieces as you watch Kozume cry his heart out. 

Kozume forces his eyes shut. The pained look on Y/N's face only makes him feel more guilty. 

_This wasn't suppose to happen._

His feelings were suppose to remain a secret. But life never goes as planned and fate decides to choose it's own destiny. 


	29. Thank you

You rest both of your hands on his chest to push off of him. The action in it's own hurts the two of you for different reasons. "We should sit down at least." Your words croak out of your throat. Half of your sentence comes out broken in pieces but Kozume's managed to understand it. His arms unwrap from your waist and he walks over to sit on the edge of his bed. 

Quietly, you follow behind him. But you couldn't make yourself sit next to him. Being next to him is a conflicting battle. Both of you suffer from being near one another. But at the same time you both need to find closure. 

It seems like all you've been doing lately is causing heartaches towards the ones close to you. First Azumane and now Kozume. 

With Azumane, the best way for him to heal was to distance himself from you. You only speak to one another at work. It's difficult to do when you've been friends for ten years. To randomly distance yourself from one another is a challenge. But it's necessary. Especially for Azumane who needs to move on with his feelings. 

You still text here and there but it wasn't like old times. 

Thinking that the same situation might happen between you and Kozume makes your heart ache. The two of you just rekindled your friendship and to have it spread thinly like that; is painful. 

But you know that it's something that needs to be done. Otherwise you're only causing him more pain by showing your presence to him.

_How would he be able to move on if you appeared everywhere?_

Kozume realizes Y/N's stopped in front of him. Her eyes look far away when she stares at nothing specific. Her eyes are down to the carpet flooring. 

_What is she thinking? Is she trying to find a way to protect him again?_

Y/N always thinks about others before she thinks about herself. She's afraid to be selfish at times.

With his tears dried and his mind slowly calming down, he reaches out for her hand. 

Kozume himself is just like Y/N. He's always thinking about her first and he holds back his selfish desires. With the two only thinking about the other, it causes a clash. 

Y/N doesn't pull away when Kozume pulls her over to him. Her legs gently bumps into Kozume's knees. 

You feel Kozume gently squeeze your hand. His eyes softly gazes at your finger tips and you grow nervous when he eyes them intently. 

"When did time slip away from us? Your hands used to be so small and full of cuts and bruises." Kozume murmurs. "I would have to bandage them up at least once a week. I figured you were doing it on purpose." Kozume dryly chuckles when he looks up at you with a smile. 

"They're still small compared to yours." You murmur. "And back then I didn't want to be left out when you and Tetsurō played volleyball so the bruises were worth it. I also had so many papercuts for some reason." A half smile forms on your face when you think about old times.

Your heart wavers when you feel Kozume intertwine his hands with yours. The smile on his face softens and turns into a small frown. His eyes lower back to your intertwined hands.

"The three of us were inseparable." His low tone is barely audible. If you weren't this close to him, you would've missed it completely. 

"It wasn't like that from the beginning though. Remember?" You exhale under your breath. "The two of us were both attached to Tetsurō. But when he left our side, we didn't know how to interact with each other. I thought you only put up with me because I was friends with him." 

"N-No!" Kozume's raised voice startles the both of you. His eyes flick over to you with furrowed brows. "You were a girl. I didn't know how to act around girls." His lips pucker out slightly when he pouts. "My parents told me girls are fragile and I should be careful around them. So I figured if I kept my distance...I wouldn't hurt you by accident." 

You giggle at his explanation. "Fragile, huh? Even though I would be just as rough as you and Tetsurō when we played together?" 

Kozume shrugs, his eyes soften. "You did soften up when we got older. You became more aware of your appearance. Remember the days you would get depressed because you compared yourself to other girls in the school? You wouldn't stop talking about how pretty one of the upperclassman's were." 

Biting your inner cheek, you scoff and flare out your nostrils. "I was jealous. That's normal behavior for a teenage girl." 

"But to me you were the prettiest one." Kozume speaks bluntly. His comment causes your hands to squeeze his slightly. Your heart aches once again when you see his frown deepen. "If only I told you that back then." He scrunches his face together in annoyance. "Instead...Kuroo was the one to voice my thoughts aloud." Kozume's shoulders drop and he drags out a groan. 

"Tetsurō was going through his playboy phase at the time. I didn't take his words to heart." You sheepishly whisper. "We were all changing and finding ourselves in middle school." 

"I forgot about Kuroo's playboy phase. He was such a dick." Kozume grumbles when he's reminded of the memory. 

"And embarrassing." You snicker. "But he was only putting on an act in front of others. He was the same Tetsurō when it was just the three of us. A nerd for science." The corner of your lips curl and you giggle at the thought. 

"I bet he could still recite the periodic table in his drunken state too." Kozume shakes his head with a lighthearted laughter. The laughter dies out and the two of you grow quiet again. 

You part your lips slightly to speak. "Could...Could I ask when? When did everything start?" 

Your question causes Kozume to tighten his hold on your hands. He slowly strokes the back of your hand with his thumb in circular motions. "Summer vacation. The night you came over to my place for a sleepover."

"When your mom caught us playing games in the middle of the night?" You recall the memory. Kozume smiles when he hears you remember. A slight blush crosses over his face. "You were so bold to hug me to sleep." He mumbles under his breath, casting his eyes down to his lap.

"Says the one who asked me to sleep in the same bed as him." You retort back, swaying your intertwined hands side to side playfully. 

Kozume squeezes his eyes shut and the tips of his ears redden. His glasses droop down his nose bridge slightly from how low he tries to hide his face from you. But with the ponytail that holds his bangs up, it's impossible for him to hide his redden face. 

He untangles his fingers from you to cover his face. "I can't believe I suggested that." 

"Why did you?" 

"I didn't want you to sleep on the hard floor. My bed was much more comfortable..." Kozume innocently answers. You snicker with a smile on your face. "But then I couldn't sleep at all with how close you were to me. Yet, you easily fell asleep." 

Pursing your lips, you shyly tuck your hair behind your ear. Gulping, you part your lips open to tell him the truth. "I was pretending to sleep." 

Kozume's eyes widen and he looks up at you in bewilderment, his face a crimson red. 

"I heard your uneven breathing and the way you slowly tried to not stir me awake when you rested your head on mine. You actually fell asleep before me." You stare up at the ceiling, feeling too embarrassed when Kozume stares at you in shock. 

"When I noticed you fell asleep, I opened my eyes to take back my teddy bear." You giggle as you spoke. "It was so nerve wracking to do since you gripped onto him so tightly. Instead of successfully taking my bear back, he fell onto the floor when you rolled over and wrapped your arms around me. The way my heart pounded against my chest made me frightful that I was getting a heart attack." 

Kozume nibbles on his bottom lip when he hears what he's done that night. He scrunches his nose and adjust the glasses back on his nose bridge. "S-Sorry I did that." 

Shaking your head, you exhale with a gentle smile. "That night I preferred you over my teddy bear. You were warm and smelled like vanilla. I felt safe." Your words tremble out of your lips and you find yourself sad again. "I think that same night was the night I depended on you a bit more. I was reminded that you can be someone I can lean on too. Not just Tetsurō. I'm sure you'd agree that we got closer that summer." 

Lowering your eyes back down to Kozume, he nods his head. "I only wished...I understood the emotions I felt for you sooner." Kozume clenches his hands into tight fists, a scowl on his face. "After that summer when Kuroo came back, things reverted back to how they were. We were three again and not two."

"And somewhere down the line...I fell in love with Tetsurō." Your lips tremble as you spoke. Kozume grits his teeth, his Adams apple bobbing in his throat. 

"Yeah." Is all Kozume can muster to say. 

A silence looms and neither of you look at one another. 

"Do you think it would've been better if we left things like they were ten years ago?" You're the one to speak up again. "If I never went to that reunion. If I just kept the funeral as family only." You stop yourself from speaking further when you feel the anxiety litter your palms. But there's no use in bottling up your thoughts. These thoughts need to be said aloud. 

"Maybe then...we wouldn't--"

"No. Don't finish your sentence." Kozume cuts you off with a slightly raised voice. His tone startles you and you return your gaze on him. He wears a piecing glare while clenching his teeth. You've never seen him look so angry before and it sends a chill down your spine. 

"Don't finish your sentence Y/N." His voice comes out shaky and he flares out his nostrils. "I don't regret meeting you like this again. You ran away from me once and I see this as an opportunity to make sure you don't do it again. SO DON'T TELL ME WE SHOULDN'T HAVE MET LIKE THIS AGAIN." Kozume forces his eyes closed when he shouts at you. 

Hearing his feelings projected so loudly is the last straw you needed to feel the hot tears litter your face. 

Kozume continues to shout his emotions.

**He had nothing left to lose.**

"I don't care how hurt I feel at this moment. Because I'm able to meet you again. I'm able to hear your voice again. You...You came back and I'm happy to know you are just a call away again. I'm just happy that you exist once more Y/N." Kozume clenches his teeth while his tears invade his vision once more. 

He feels pathetic for crying in front of Y/N but he must let her know how strongly he feels about this. 

"You're here." Kozume weakly mutters out through sobs. He feels a warmth envelope him and a weight on his head. Y/N's wrapped her arms around him and she rests her forehead against the top of his head. 

Turning his head slightly, he hears her heart. It's beating wildly against her chest and she's also sobbing in tears. Kozume weakly raises his arms to pull her as close as he can. She raises one free hand to run through his hair. 

"I'm sorry Kenma...I won't finish my sentence." She apologizes through sniffles. He tightens his hold on her, not wanting to let go of this warmth that he aches. "I just don't know what to do now." She bites back her tongue and her hold on him weakens. "My feelings..."

"They're for Kuroo. I know." Kozume closes his eyes, his tone weak but his hold still strong on her. "I know." He repeats himself. The way his heart drops and shatters is unbearable. 

You can only feel hopeless in this situation. But the way Kozume holds you tightly gives you comfort. Even now, he's the one comforting you when he's hurt the most. Your fingers continue to slowly stroke the back of his head. 

"I'd like to be selfish and tell you to love me. But there's no way I can do that. I care for you and Kuroo both. I don't want to be the reason my two best friends cannot find happiness." Kozume parts his lips to speak softly. "But...even if there's a slim chance Kuroo fucks up again." Kozume slowly pulls his head away from Y/N's chest. He eyes her directly and speaks in a firm tone. "I'll come running for you." 

His words sends a small jolt to your heart. You can't find the right words to say. Silence is probably the only thing you can respond with. Removing your hand from his hair, you wipe his tears with your thumb. 

He closes his eyes and leans his cheek against your palm. "I love you Y/N. I know I shouldn't say that aloud but let me be selfish just this once. Let me tell you these words I held back for so long." 

You remain quiet.

You didn't want to reject the one favor Kozume's asked for.

Hearing Y/N's silence, he assumes that's a yes.

Kozume's eyes slowly flutter open and you feel his arms pull away from your waist. 

One hand reaches for the hand that holds his face. He carefully pulls that hand to his lips. Kozume gently presses a kiss to each fingertip. "Thank you for creating something so beautiful for my project. I'm sure you worked tirelessly for me." Each kiss feels hot and it sends a tingle down your palm. 

Kozume moves away from your fingers. His lips kiss your chest, right above your heart, and it startles you. "Thank you for loving me the way you do."

He then gently tugs your arm, asking you to lower down to him. You squat down in front of him. All you can do is watch him as you feel your heart crack with each action he does. 

His lips twitch into a frown when he kisses your forehead. "Thank you for always thinking about my well being over yours." Kozume moves from one spot of your body to the next. He confesses his feelings in such a way that causes your tears to start again. 

He pushes your hair away from your ear, gently pressing his lips to the sensitive area. With a whisper, "Thank you for listening to me." 

His lips then trail back to your face and he asks you to close your eyes. Doing as you're told, you close your eyes. Feeling his lips press a kiss to each of your eyelids feels just as intense because your loss of one sense. 

His voice sounds much more husky and deep with a few cracks between his words. "Thank you for always watching after me back then and now." You hear his breath hitch when he eyes the last spot. You slowly flutter your eyes open, curious. 

The closeness between you two is nerve wracking.

You notice his conflicted expression. He debates whether or not to proceed. Your chest tightens when you realize where he's looking at. 

_Kozume's focus is on your lips._

Squeezing his eyes shut for a second, he makes up his mind. You quietly watch him lean closer, his breath tickling your lips. Your mind blanks out with how close Kozume is. 

_Is he going to kiss you?_

You weren't sure whether you wanted that or not. Your heart aches enough as it is. 

Kozume softly kisses the corner of your lips instead. You notice the pained expression he forms when he knows he'll never be able to kiss your lips directly. His cat-like golden eyes looks directly at you. "And thank you for sharing such a beautiful smile and harmonious laughter with me." His words tremble out of his throat. 

Your brows furrow together and you grit your teeth tightly. The tears begin to fall like heavy rain when you watch Kozume pull away from you with a deep frown etched on his face. He stands up and helps you up after his little confession. "You should go home and get some rest. It's late and you had a long day." 

Kozume gently holds your hand and guides you back to the front of the house. He watches you put your boots back on after letting go of your hand. "Thank you for coming over unexpectedly." 

"Of course." You find your voice when you glance up from your boots. Reaching into your coat, you extend the house key to him. Kozume takes it from your fingertips. 

"Text me when you get home." He forces a smile on his face and your heart aches at the sight. You nod your head in response. 

"Okay. I'll..." You planned to say 'I'll see you later' but, would you see Kozume again after tonight? Your work with Kozume is done and you're sure he'll be much busier from here on out with how close the deadline of the game is. 

"I'll see you later Y/N." Kozume speaks up. "It's impossible for us to not run into each other. Especially when you and Kuroo date again." He laughs lightheartedly. "Now hurry on home. It's late." Kozume places a hand on your shoulder to turn you around. He gently pushes you out the door and raises a hand to say goodbye. 

Speechless and feeling rushed from Kozume, you raise your hand to say bye before walking over to your car. 

Kozume waits until Y/N pulls out of the driveway before closing the door behind him. He closes his eyes and leans his back against the door. Raising a hand over to his chest, he squeezes the fabric of his hoodie. 

A frown replaces the fake smile he wears. 

_He misses her already._


	30. Don't fuck up Kuroo

Kuroo rolls over from the bright sunlight that blinds his eyes. He groans at the invasion. With the realization that he's home, he jolts awake and looks at his surroundings.

He runs a hand through his messy hair and yawns. His vision goes from blurry to clear as they adjust. "How did I get here?"

His first instinct is to find any note or message left behind. His eyes look over to his nightstand but there's nothing there but his phone.

Extending his hand, he picks up his phone to see that it's at 10%. Looks like his drunken past self never got around to plugging his phone on the charger.

Something else grabs his attention however. Several notifications on all of his social media platforms. His thumb scrolls through the flood of notifications. Eyes growing wide when they mention Kozume's odd behavior.

In a panic, Kuroo throws his blanket off and scrambles to get properly dressed before rushing over to Kozume's place.

Kuroo hopes nothing horrible happened to Kozume while he was knocked out last night.

As Kuroo hurries out of the elevator, he notices the security guard from last night leaving for the day. "Ah, just the person I need." Kuroo stops the guard to ask him a question. 

"Oh, Mr. Kuroo! Glad to see you're feeling well." The guard smiles brightly when he sees Kuroo walking towards him. Kuroo wears a matching smile. "I actually don't remember how I got home last night..." 

The guard raises both of his eyebrows. "A young lady brought you here. The one you put on your list of welcome guest." 

_Y/N?_

If she dropped him off here, that must mean his car is still parked at the izakaya's parking lot.

He then widens his eyes and slaps a hand to his forehead. "Oh god, did I say or do anything stupid?" Kuroo has no memory of what happened last night after the first couple of drinks. The guard purses his lips and dryly laughs. 

"You whined when she didn't tell you she loved you back. Other than that, I don't know if you did anything else embarrassing before she dropped you off here."

Kuroo's face flushes red and he nods his head. He thanks the guard for answering his question and tells him to have a good day. He grits his teeth together and cringes at himself. He'll have to apologize to Y/N when he sees her next. 

With no car, he takes his phone out to book a ride with a car company.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Kozume lays in bed with his arm over his eyes. His breathing is steady but his mind is a mess. The events of last night eat at him. He questions if he should've said things and done things differently. But no matter what he would've done or said, the results will be the same. 

_Y/N loves Kuroo and Kuroo loves her._

Kozume clenches his teeth and rolls over to groan into his pillow. 

Several rings to the doorbell sound out through the house causing Kozume to slowly sit up. 

_Who could it be?_

Rolling out of bed, Kozume drags his feet out of his bedroom and towards the front door. Before he opens it a crack, the door swings open. With wide eyes Kozume jolts completely awake. Kuroo wears a distressed expression. He eyes Kozume top to bottom, pulling him into a tight hug.

"OH THANK GOD. I was worried something bad happened to you." Kuroo's loud voice booms in Kozume's ear.

Kozume grows weak as he's being held by Kuroo. His earlier thoughts about changing up his actions last night dissipate. There's no way he can muster the strength to interject himself between Y/N and Kuroo. 

The two care for him so much and if he were to fight for his love, he'd lose everything. 

Kuroo releases his grip on Kozume and welcomes himself in. He closes the door for Kozume and takes off his shoes, eyeing his best friend again. "What happened last night? I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I was drunk and--"

"It's okay." Kozume cuts Kuroo's sentence off. He walks over to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Kuroo follows behind Kozume and sits himself down on the chair by the island counter. 

"No, it's not. What happened last night to cause your viewers to message me such cryptic messages? If I wasn't drunk, I could've been there for you when you needed someone Kenma." 

"Y/N came over." 

Kozume's words cuts Kuroo's rambling off and there's a tension in the air. 

"Oh? That's good." Kuroo sounds relieved at the thought. He exhales and relaxes his shoulders. Kozume's lips form a thin line. His hands grip tightly around the glass cup. The cool sensation of the water stings against his hot skin. 

"It wasn't good." Kozume mumbles under his breath, hanging his head low.

Kuroo raises an eyebrow when he stares at Kozume's back. Kozume turns around and eyes Kuroo from where he stands. "We talked things over. My feelings and our past. She said a few things I didn't want to hear and..." 

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to Kenma." Kuroo speaks in a more serious tone. "I can't imagine how hurt you felt last night. Things escalated pretty quickly when she found out." 

Kozume nods his head, a frown forming on his face. "I love her Kuroo."

"I know." Kuroo drops his eyes down to the marble counter. Goosebumps litter Kuroo's arms from Kozume's deflated tone. 

"And I want nothing but happiness for her." Kozume continues.

He walks over to the island table to stand across Kuroo. Kuroo feels Kozume's presence. His hazel eyes flick over to Kozume's golden ones. 

The two stare at one another in silence. 

"So do I." Kuroo breaks the silence with a hushed whisper. 

"Don't fuck up this time Kuroo." Kozume aches out his words. His eyes begin to gloss over and his intense stare drops. "Because the moment you slip up, I'm going after her." A flicker of fire lights up in Kozume's eyes and for just a brief moment, Kuroo felt intimidation. 

Sitting straighter, Kuroo wears a lopsided smirk. "Is that a threat, pudding head?"

"I'm serious Kuroo." Kozume stands his ground. There's not a sign of playfulness in his eyes or expression. 

Kuroo awkwardly laughs and nods his head. "Don't you worry, I'm not fucking this up again. Because I know you're not joking when you said you'll come running for her." 

Kozume silently nods his head and chugs the glass of water down. A silence stretches between the two. 

"How did she handle everything?" Kuroo speaks up again, his brows furrowing together. 

"She was overthinking and assumed things would've been better if she never reappeared in our lives. After I yelled, she just listened. I probably shouldn't have raised my voice. I was just upset she was thinking about us instead of herself again." 

Kuroo smiles at the thought. He quietly chuckles under his breath and runs his fingers through his hair. "It's one of the reasons we love her though. She cares a bit too much for us." 

Kozume purses his lips and sighs, nodding his head. "Yeah." Kozume slowly looks back at Kuroo. "So...when are you going to ask her out? Your feelings are mutual." 

Kuroo looks over at Kozume, scrunching his nose and shrugging. A blush forms on his cheeks when he thinks about the thought of asking Y/N to be his girlfriend again. "I don't want to do it so soon. Especially when you just confessed your feelings and--"

"Don't worry about me. Worry about her and you." Kozume cuts Kuroo off again. "Time will heal my heart. Besides, weren't you the one to say a few months ago that you want to find someone to settle down with? That someone is back in your life." 

Kuroo grows confused. "You want me to ask her hand in marriage instead?" 

Kozume looks pained at the thought. "You plan to eventually, right? Besides, the two of you dated before. This ten years is just a long break for you." 

Kuroo thinks thoroughly at Kozume's suggestion.

His hands fly to his face at the thought of proposing to Y/N. "T-That's so nerve wracking to think about. I don't know where or how to even propose. Or what ring she'd prefer. What if she rejects me?" 

Kozume watches Kuroo fluster and the sight eases the pain in his heart slightly. It's not every day Kozume gets to see this side of Kuroo.

"Well...she's going to be free for a while since she's done with my project. I'm sure her boss wouldn't throw her into another one so quickly since I've paid for her assistance until the end of December. It's your chance to spend time with her when you're not at work. I'm sure you'll find something within a month and a half." 

Kuroo slowly calms down when he listens to Kozume. He focuses his attention back on his friend. "You're a great guy Kenma. I don't think I've told you that enough." 

Kozume grows embarrassed from Kuroo's sudden compliment. The tip of his ears turns red and he looks down at the marble table. "Shut up." 

"I'm serious!" Kuroo exclaims. "It's pretty strong of you to help a guy who's technically your enemy. I'm sure it's too much for me to ask you to ring shop with me?"

Kozume remains still in his spot.

_Would he be okay if he went shopping for a ring intended for Y/N with Kuroo?_

He's not sure how he would feel. 

Kozume runs his fingers through his hair and ponders on the thought. Just the thought of Y/N being married to Kuroo is already causing his chest to tighten. 

But Kuroo is his friend that he wants to stand next to when he's in a predicament. 

"I'll go. But I can't promise that I'll stay for long." Kozume murmurs. He raises his eyes over to Kuroo who forms a small smile. 

"If it's too uncomfortable for you, you're free to run out of the store. I wouldn't blame you. The idea itself is stressful and...because of the other reason I won't say." Kuroo is completely understanding of Kozume. The two are grateful that they can understand each other without needing to verbally explain everything. 

"Speaking of doing things in general. Do you mind driving me to the izakaya we went to last night? I left my car there." Kuroo awkwardly chuckles and Kozume rolls his eyes playfully in response.

"Sure, let's get going before they tow it." 

"THEY BETTER NOT. NOT MY CORVETTE!" Kuroo rushes towards the front of the house to put his shoes on and Kozume follows after him. There doesn't seem to be any chance for Kozume to change out of his hoodie and sweatpants. 


	31. Be selfish Y/N

"Y/N?" A hand waves in front of your face. You returned to the office after two months of absence. Working from the comfort of your home for this project has definitely spoiled you.

You're finding yourself nodding to sleep at your desk. Technically, you're still working on the project until the end of December but you wanted to at least inform your boss about the progression before heading back home.

However, your boss has yet to come into work this morning. Azumane pokes your cheek with the end of his pen, startling you. Sitting up right and fluttering away your heavy eyelids, you look over to Azumane.

"Did you not get any sleep last night?" Azumane chuckles from your surprised reaction. Rubbing your eyes, you shake your head. "I had a busy day yesterday." A yawn escapes from your lips. "We had a recording for Kenma's game and it was Tetsurō's birthday as well."

Azumane nods in understanding. "Wanna go grab some coffee? It's been awhile." 

You glance at the clock that reads 10AM. Shrugging, you nod along to Azumane's suggestion. You grab your purse off your desk and place it over your shoulder. Azumane and you leave the office together. Hopefully by the time you two come back, your boss should be in his office. 

Azumane lets you step in the elevator first before entering after you. A silence looms between the two of you. 

"Something on your mind?" Azumane carefully speaks his thoughts aloud. His eyes focus on the elevator numbers going down on the screen beside the doors. You purse your lips in response. Azumane can still figure you out even though the two of you have been absent from one another. 

Relaxing your tight shoulders, you exhale. Your fingers run through your hair messily. "A lot, actually." You flick your eyes over to Azumane with a weak smile. "Is it okay if I tell you about it?" 

The corner of Azumane's lips curl into a smile. He glances at his watch. "My time is yours Y/N. You know that." He chuckles dryly from how cheesy he sounds and you playfully roll your eyes, nudging his shoulder with your elbow. 

"We only have 30 minutes for this break. Let's be realistic Asahi." The two of you exit the elevator with laughter. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

With your hot caramel frappuccino in hand, you and Azumane find two bar stool chairs at the front of the café away from the other patrons in the shop. You take a sip of your frappuccino, gazing out of the window. Azumane quietly looks out and patiently waits for you to voice your thoughts. 

"This is a bit difficult to talk about since the situation is similar to yours." Your lips part slightly when you begin to speak. Lowering your eyes down, you rub your thumb in circular motion against the drink. 

Azumane raises an eyebrow, tilting his head. Nibbling on your bottom lip, you sigh. "Kenma...I found out he likes me. Or well, loves me. Probably for years now." 

A moment of surprise flashes on Azumane's face. His eyes widen when he hears the news but he remains quiet. 

With a lopsided smile, you dryly laugh. "I don't know how I find myself in these situations where so many great guys like me." You grow quiet before continuing. "I'm sure there's someone out there dying to be in my spot right now. But the reality is...this is stressful. Having to hurt the ones close to me and not reciprocate their feelings back. This kind of situation pains me but it pains the other person more." 

You force your eyes closed. "I started wondering if meeting Kenma and even Tetsurō again was a mistake. That maybe if we kept things how they were ten years ago, it would've been better off for them. Kenma would find someone else and so would..." You couldn't finish your sentence. 

The thought of Kuroo dating and even marrying someone else is a thought you feared the most. Despite how much you tried to pull yourself away from him. Despite how you treated him coldly at first.

_Despite all that..._

"You would've regretted it Y/N." Azumane speaks up when he finds an opening. "You know yourself better than anyone. You would've regretted it if you saw Kuroo with someone else." Azumane's voice is comforting as a warm blanket in the winter. He timidly places a hand on your shoulder causing you to flutter your eyes open. 

"You would be more heartbroken if you saw Kuroo loving someone else. Because to you, Kuroo will always be your first and last love." Azumane tries to hold the smile on his face but his furrowed brows show his real emotions. It's hard for him to give Y/N advice like this. His feelings are still recovering but he remains strong for her. 

"Kuroo holds a special place in your heart. You wouldn't have pushed him away so much if you didn't care about him. I can't speak on Kenma's behalf but, at the end of the day..." Azumane lowers his eyes for a brief moment before staring directly into your eyes.

"I want nothing more than to see you happy. Of course I'll be hurt along the way, but I too, will find someone that loves me. I don't know when. But I'm not going to rush the process." Azumane exhales with a bitter laugh. "The single life isn't too bad either. I'll just put most of my time and attention into my career." 

You place a hand on Azumane's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "You'll find someone. She might be closer than you think." You form a smile and Azumane grows shy from your words. 

"H-Hey, I'm suppose to be comforting you right now." Azumane pulls his hand away from your shoulder. He casts his eyes back outside the window, slurping down his Americano.

You quietly giggle under your breath. 

"Did anything else happen to bother you?" Azumane speaks up again. You nod your head. 

"My feelings for Tetsurō. I know I shouldn't feel guilty for having these feelings for him. But...I don't know how to respond to them when I now know Kenma's feelings." 

"Kenma understands. I'm sure he was well aware of the consequences to his confession like I was. The two of us selfishly voiced our feelings despite knowing they'll never be returned. We shouldn't have put you in that position. I realized a bit later how cruel that was on you mentally." Azumane lowers his head in apology. 

"You have to be selfish too Y/N. Love Kuroo. Let no one stop you from letting your emotions out. I'm sure Kuroo would be overjoyed." Azumane forms a small smile. There's a faint glimmer in his eyes when the two of you make eye contact. "Let yourself feel the happiness you yearned for these past years Y/N." 

Hearing Azumane's words lifts a weight off your chest. Your eyes waver in response and a tear slides down your face without any warning. 

_Happiness._

You've felt happiness in various forms these past few years but it was never from love. 

Now that you've come to terms about your feelings towards Kuroo...is it okay to completely dive back into that kind of feeling? 

The happiness you get when you hear his voice, see his smile, listen to him ramble about nonsense. Maybe Kuroo would even recite the periodic table for you like he would back then. 

You could get a glimpse of the man Kuroo became today if you asked him. 

You know he wouldn't reject to the idea. He'll get giddy and speak happily about the interest of topic. 

You want to know who Kuroo is now. You've only known the past version of him. 

In turn, you can also show Kuroo what you've been up to while he was absent from your life. 

The two of you have much to catch up on and the only way to do so, is to reach out to him. 

Finalizing your inner thoughts, you wipe the tear from your face and thank Azumane. "Thank you Asahi. You always know the right thing to say."

"I wouldn't say always...but you're welcome Y/N." Azumane's smile brightens when he sees Y/N come to terms with her feelings. He looks at his watch and notices the time is getting closer for the two to head back. "We should head back." 

"You go on ahead first. I need to make a call." You reach for your phone in your purse. Azumane doesn't question you and takes his leave first. 

"See you later Y/N." Azumane raises a hand to say goodbye and you wave him off. He exits the café and heads back to the office. 

As you unlock your phone and hover over to your contacts, Kuroo's ID flashes on the screen. You don't waste a second to answer his call.

"Tetsurō." You blurt out his name. 

"Y/N." He mimics your tone and you can easily envision his smile. "You seem excited to hear from me. Did you miss me?" He jokingly says but you surprise him with your honesty, causing his breath to hitch.

"Yes. I miss you so much Tetsurō." Your words tremble slightly when you whisper them over the phone. 

Hearing the loneliness in Y/N's tone causes him to worry but at the same time feel elated. "I didn't expect that kind of response. I wanted to call to apologize if I did or said anything stupid last night." 

"Apologize to me in person then." You bite your bottom lip, realizing you sound demanding all of a sudden. 

"Alright. Where are you? I'll come pick you up." Kuroo smirks from Y/N's tone. Whatever she wanted, he'd gladly give her. If she asked for the world right now, he'd try his best to get it for her. He'll do anything for her to make up the lost time they went through.

You tell Kuroo your location and he remains on the phone call with you. A warmth spreads throughout your chest as you cradle your phone close to your ear. 

This time you're going to selfishly love someone without a second thought about the consequences.


	32. Will you be my girlfriend?

You notice a flashy corvette and it's no surprise Kuroo is the one driving it. He steps out of his car after parking it on the side of the street. Several eyes stare at him and his car when they walk past.

You get up from your seat by the window and exit the café after throwing away your empty drink.

Kuroo's lips forms a smile when he sees you. "Y/N-" His words stop in his throat when he sees you rush over to him, embracing his tall frame with your arms around his waist. You snuggle your face into his chest, the smell of woody spices intoxicate your nose.

His cheeks turn a rosy red from your sudden affection. Kuroo slowly wraps his long arms around your frame. "You weren't joking when you said you missed me." He whispers into your ear and you quietly nod your head against his chest. "As much as I love this hug, we should probably get off the sidewalk." Kuroo pulls away and laces his fingers with yours.

"Should I drive you to your car? You drove to work, right?" Kuroo speaks sweetly. His fingers gently tuck your hair behind your ear.

"Yeah." You whisper a response.

"Let's get you there then. Mind if we go to my place after we drop your car off? I need to finalize a few things for work and then I'm all yours for the day." Kuroo leads you towards his car and opens the passenger door for you after unlocking his corvette. With a smile, you nod to his words.

You'll just have to forward an email to your boss about your progress with the project. There's no way you're heading back to the office now.

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Seeing Kuroo's place will always take your breath away.

The space alone is larger than your apartment studio. You're distracted by the view when you take your heels off at the front door.

"There's drinks in the fridge if you're thirsty." Kuroo calls out to you from the living room. He props open his laptop on the coffee table while adjusting a pair of glasses on his nose.

Opening the fridge, you grab a bottle of green tea. Your heart skips when you notice a pair of black rimmed glasses on Kuroo's face. His serious gaze on his laptop plus the glasses makes him even more attractive than he already is.

Pursing your lips, you distract your fluttering heart by drinking the green tea. Not wanting to interrupt him while he's working, you walk over to the glass windows to look out at the cityscape.

A smile tugs on your lips when the warm sun beams on you.

Kuroo looks up from his laptop when he realizes how quiet it is. He notices Y/N is no longer in the kitchen and curiously looks for her. A smile plasters on his face when he sees her smile at the city below them.

The way the sun shines down on her makes his chest tighten. She's really beautiful without even trying.

Even though he's the one that said he'll spend time with her once he finishes up with his work, he's tempted to stop all together so he could spend as much time with her.

Kuroo shakes his distracted thoughts away and forces himself to look back at the emails. His eyes scan quickly through each email and his fingers quickly type a reply to each one. 

Some time passes and your finger hovers over Kozume's contact. You wondered if he feels better today. The events from last night is still fresh on your mind. You questioned if you should ask him how he's feeling this morning. 

Running your fingers through your hair, you grip a handful of hair in your fist before ruffling the area. You don't notice Kuroo who sneaks up behind you. His arms easily wraps around your waist and his chest presses against your back. 

"Something stressing you out?" Kuroo whispers beside you when he stares at your phone. He notices Kozume's contact and makes eye contact with you. You notice the glasses from earlier still sit adorably on his nose. 

Pursing your lips, you pull yourself away from Kuroo to face him. "Did...Did you talk to Kenma today?" 

Kuroo nods his head, lacing his arms back around your waist and pulling you towards him. He rests his forehead against yours with his eyes closed. "I never knew you were so popular with the guys Y/N." He jokingly teases you and you scoff in response with your nostrils flared out. 

He smirks when he hears your little retort. Fluttering his eyes open, he stares directly into your eyes. A deep gaze from his hazel eyes. "He threatened to take you away from me if I fuck up." A look of surprise appears on your face when you listen to Kuroo. He exhales softly and gently presses a kiss to your forehead. 

"And I reassured him I wouldn't make that mistake twice."

"H-How?" You stammer out with a raised brow. A lop-sided smile etches onto Kuroo's face. He trails several kisses from your forehead to your eyelids, to the button of your nose, the squishiness of your cheeks and your jawline. Each kiss causes your heart to skip and your breath to quiver. Your eyes follow his every move and Kuroo stops short of your lips. 

He gazes at Y/N's soft plush lips with neediness. But his lips stop short of making contact with hers.

Kuroo returns his attention towards your eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend Y/N?" Kuroo's voice is sweet as honey.

Your eyes widen the moment his words meet your ears. The heat in your face grows and Kuroo snickers at the sight.

Kuroo's appreciative that he still can make Y/N blush like this. 

Scrunching your nose, you look away for a moment.

_Of course you will say yes._

But you stretch on the silence purposely to cause Kuroo to grow anxious. It doesn't take long for him to grumble out from your silence. 

"Do I need to repeat myself again?" Kuroo scrunches his nose, his glasses raising up slightly. You feel his arms tighten around your waist. The corner of your lips curl into a smile and you return your gaze on him. 

Raising a hand up, you reach towards his glasses to lift them away from his face.

Kuroo grows confused for a moment but then surprised the next when he feels Y/N's lips against his forehead. 

His breath hitches when he feels the warm contact of Y/N's lips against his bare skin. She slowly pulls away after planting the kiss on his forehead. Her eyes waver and she inhales sharply when she stares at his face. She takes in all the details of Kuroo's face and mentally burns it into her memory. 

"Of course, Tetsurō." She giggles when she looks at Kuroo's stunned expression. 

Kuroo forgot how amazing it feels to be kissed. That lack of affection stirs up his emotions. Without a second thought, Kuroo presses his lips against Y/N's plush ones. He hears her gasp in surprise. Afraid he scared her off, he pulls away but Y/N leans forward to capture his lips with hers. 

Your mind blanked out for a moment when Kuroo's lips met yours. Something ignites within you when you're reminded of the several kisses you shared back then. His kisses would cause butterflies in your stomach and that feeling became a rush for you. You're glad that feeling never left. 

Giving into your emotions, you wrap your arms around Kuroo's neck, delicately holding onto his glasses with one hand. Your lips melt against Kuroo's and you hear a pleasant hum rumble in his throat. He gingerly holds the back of your head with one hand while pressing the palm of your back closer to his body. 

Your kisses start off slow and hesitant but it blooms into hunger. The two of you ached this kind of physical contact. The soft sounds of your lips melding into one another makes you blush and aroused all at once. A moan escapes from you and you shiver in response when Kuroo glides his tongue against your lips. He pulls away from your swollen lips and you whine in response. 

He smirks at the sound you make. "Should we take this to my bedroom? Or are you okay with making love right here?" Kuroo eyes the many glass panes behind you and you instantly grow self conscious. Even though it's a slim chance for anyone to see the two of you at this high of elevation, you couldn't chance it. 

Pursing your lips, you shake your head. "I'm not that adventurous Tetsurō." Your face reddens a deep burgundy and he dryly chuckles in response. His lips kiss your forehead to comfort you. 

"I wouldn't say that...I've seen how you are in bed Y/N. You'd think I forget the times where you'd ask me to handcuff you? Or when we played teacher and student? You're plenty adventurous when it comes to roleplay." Kuroo's voice huskily speaks into your ear. A shiver runs down your spine when you listen to him. Gulping in response, you bite your inner cheek when you feel him suck on your earlobe. 

"Or how you have a daddy kink?" Kuroo smirks as he speaks in a dangerous tone. The very tone that can easily make you pounce on him right here. 


	33. Mr. Kuroo

Kuroo teasingly nips at your ear. He tempts you again with his husky tone, his breath causing your skin to litter in goosebumps. "Should we roleplay for old time sake? I'm a little rusty if that's okay with you." 

Biting down on your lip, you stare at Kuroo's hazel eyes. They shine with playfulness and temptation. He isn't going to fool you with those joyful eyes. You're sure he's just as lustful as you are right now. Kuroo knows the exact thing to do to drive you mad for him. 

Finding your voice, you croak out an answer. "What do you have in mind?" 

A smirk tugs on Kuroo's face when he gets your approval. His large hand reaches towards your head. He runs his fingers through your hair and then cups your cheek in his palm, his thumb rubs circular motions against your face. "Seeing as you're in your work attire...should I pretend to be your boss? You can be the cute eye candy I hired recently." 

Staring at his devilish smile and the way he starts to inhale sharply at the imagination alone, there's no way for you to decline.

"You'll have to get out of this casual wear then." Your finger pokes his chest. A plain black tee on his body. "I expect you to be in a dress suit before I walk into your bedroom." Pulling yourself away from Kuroo, you gently nudge him towards the hallway to his room. 

Kuroo snickers under his breath and nods in understanding. "Yes mam. I'll call for you when I'm done." A devilish smile etches his face and he presses a kiss to your forehead before he leaves your side. 

You watch Kuroo walk away and only when he closes his door is when you catch your breath. Hovering a hand over your racing heart, you feel the heat in your face burn. 

_This is the first thing you two decide to do after getting back together?_

You nibble your bottom lip, feeling embarrassed by your hunger for Kuroo. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

Kuroo enters his walk-in closet, darting his eyes over by the section of suits and dress shirts. He's in a rush to find something. Anything will do. 

He grows excited and nervous at the thought of Y/N and his situation. If he had it his way, she would already be wrapped around him. But, he'll take things slow. There's no need to rush when the two have all the time in the world right now. Kuroo wants to savor this moment. A moment where he's about to make love with the very person he wants to spend forever with. 

Originally he planned to ask her hand in marriage. He was ready for commitment. But the moment didn't seem right. Instead he asked her to be his girlfriend instead. 

Kuroo notices a familiar suit after pushing five suits aside. A simple black suit jacket, paired with his red dress shirt and black tie. The very outfit he wore for their high school reunion. A small smile forms on his face when he recalls that memory. The two didn't get along so well at the time. 

He wondered if Y/N would even remember this outfit if he wore it.

_The red dress shirt must jog up her memory of that day, right?_

Not wasting a moment longer, Kuroo strips out of his current clothing and begins to cover his skin with the soft cotton dress shirt. 

He couldn't make Y/N wait too long. 

🏐･ﾟﾟ･｡.

You received a text from Kuroo telling you to put your heels back on before you enter the room when he calls out. You giggle at the text as you slip your heels back on. Before you know it, you hear him call from his bedroom. 

"Y/L/N! Can you come here for a moment?" Kuroo's boastful voice makes you nervous as to what the two of you will be doing. Shaking your sweaty palms and inhaling and exhaling deeply, you slowly make your way to his door. You haven't roleplayed in years and you can only hope you and Kuroo both will stumble throughout the entire thing with brushed off laughter and enjoyment.

Quietly knocking on the door, you wait a moment before entering the room. You find Kuroo sitting over by his computer desk that's tucked away in one corner of the room. He looks up from his computer and you bow the moment you make eye contact. 

Folding your hands together in front of you, you make your way over to the front of his desk. "Did you need me, sir?" Your voice comes out shaky but it fits the role of your character anyway. You're supposedly the new hire. 

"Did you print those papers I asked for earlier this morning?" His voice is stern and he wears an expressionless face. Pursing your lips and gulping, you bow slightly. 

"S-Sorry sir. I've completely forgotten. I have so many things going on and--" 

Kuroo clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "What's more important than the task I gave you? I've told you before, you're hired to become my assistant. Don't let the others bully you into doing their work just because you're new here." 

"Understood sir." You lower your head from his steely tone. Kuroo relaxes his creased eyebrows. He lets out a sigh and turns his attention back to his computer screen. 

"I'll forgive you this time Y/L/N. Just don't forget next time. While you're here, I could go over some of our projects this month with you. Have a seat." You notice a chair that sits directly in front of his desk. You wondered if that chair was used whenever Kuroo and Kozume would hang out and play on his computer. Otherwise it would be weird for him to have two chairs. An actual meeting in his bedroom wouldn't be professional. And from what you remember, you were the second guest under Kuroo's list to enter his place.

You seat yourself down on the soft cushioned chair, scooting it closer to the desk so you can get a good look at the computer screen that Kuroo's turning sideways for you. You hold back your laughter when you notice what is really on the screen. 

It's a doodle Kuroo was busy drawing while he was "scolding" you. 

Kuroo stifles his own laughter when he sees the amusement in your eyes. 

"What's this, sir?" You point at the screen, biting your inner cheek to hold back your bubbling laughter. Kuroo draws a smiley face while he explains the "projects." 

"Our company is currently tasked with two major projects this year. A spring fashion line and a summer. Seeing as we're already in winter, most of the spring fashion collection is near completion. I want you to go over the summer collection with me. Your opinion is just as important as mine is." Kuroo speaks fluently about the topic as if he's actually worked in your career field before. 

Nodding your head, you look over at the computer screen with seriousness. Despite how silly the actual image is. 

Kuroo then pulls up a website, his fingers gliding against the keyboard. "We're currently undecided on the jewelry pieces for the summer collection. Seeing as you like to accessorize, what do you think about these?"

You notice the page Kuroo brings up specializes in rings. You don't think anything of it as you focus on your role. 

Kuroo prays Y/N doesn't see him through his act when he pulls up wedding rings. This is probably the most safest time for him to get her opinion. He didn't expect to do it in this way but it's a chance that's been given to him. She'll just push this off as part of the roleplay anyway. Or so he hoped. 

The two pretend to look through the list of rings until one pops out to her. 

"I think simplicity is best. It'll match any outfit." You point to a ring with a solid diamond in the center of the silver band. For you, a single diamond is enough. You didn't care for the extra diamonds that usually wrap around the band of the ring. Or for the diamonds to form a unique shape. Or even if the color of the diamond was untraditional.

Kuroo nods his head. "I agree. We don't want the jewelry to distract anyone from the main piece which is the clothes itself. Great eye, Y/L/N." A smile finally forms on Kuroo's face and you grow shy from seeing it. The smile is small and sweet. As if Kuroo genuinely does agree with your choice. 

Kuroo blanks out on where to go from there. So you step up and take the lead. 

"Sir, what other tasks should I do if you're out of the office?" 

Kuroo tries to hide his second smile when he notices your help. His expression reverts back to a deadpan look. He reaches over for one of his planners, sliding it over to you. "You can always sort out my files. I tend to throw them all together and it becomes a mess. If you could organize them to be more efficient for me, I'd greatly appreciate it."

Forming a smile, you take the planner from him. "Understood. I'll get to it right away." You pretend to stand up to leave but Kuroo stops you. 

"You can do it in here Y/L/N. I'll probably need your advice on some other things." His voice is firm. You nod your head to comply, feeling nervous from his steely tone. You grow nervous being in your "boss's" office. He remained quiet as he clicks and types away at his desk. 

You wondered if Kuroo were to be your real boss, if he would act this standoffish. The rare smile of his would definitely be something you'd try to pull out of him. Hell, if Kuroo was your real boss, you'd constantly try to get his attention.

_Maybe you can switch up the role of your nervous new hire into one with lust for her boss?_

You sweep your hair to one side, pretending to fan yourself as if the office is too warm for you. Kuroo glances at you from the corner of his eye. He quietly watches you strip the cardigan you wear. With the cardigan off, you're left in your tight fitted sweater. The sweater hugs your body in all the right places. The outline of your chest and waist easily pronounced. 

Kuroo bites his lower lip when he sees the sight. You flick your eyes over to him and he quickly dodges your sight by gluing his eyes back on the computer screen. You smile from his response. 

Flipping through his planner, you pretend to look things over. Underneath the desk you gently bump your knee onto his. Kuroo looks up from his computer screen and you keep your eyes glued to the planner. 

Pretending to spot something, you look up and call out to Kuroo. "Sir, you have a few photos of last years designs, did you want me to keep them in this folder or should I trash it?" 

"Could I have a look?" Kuroo looks away from the screen. You purposely lean over to hand him the planner despite how close you two are already. Your left leg brushes against Kuroo's right leg. Your knee nearly grazing against his crotch area. 

Kuroo starts to catch the hint that Y/N's trying to amp up the scene. He keeps his eyes on the planner, chewing the inside of his cheek. Y/N innocently looks at him with her glowing eyes. "That design looks cute. I wish I was there to see it in person." 

Kuroo pulls his eyes away from the planner to look at Y/N. "It is a cute design, isn't it? You would've been a great model for the attire." 

You blush from his words. "Maybe I can model the ones for the upcoming fashion line?" You carefully place your hand on Kuroo's right knee. You feel his muscles tense up slightly but he remains calm.

"Possibly." Kuroo speaks broadly. 

"I have some experience as a model, Mr. Kuroo. It was written in my resume." Your fingers slowly graze up towards his thigh. Kuroo wears a slight look of nervousness when you amp up the situation. His Adams apple bobs in his throat and he remains unyielding to the suggestion. 

You watch his eyes gloss over and a devilish smirk grows on his face. "Oh?" His voice is much deeper when he leans his face forward. Kuroo matches your movement by placing a hand on your inner thigh. You're startled for a moment. "I must've read past that part. Care to show me what you can do?" His husky voice sends your confidence out of the window. You're paralyzed by the way he gazes at you. 

"What would you like me to do, s-sir?" You stammer over your words the last second when you feel his hand stop directly a few inches away from your lower region. You worried he would notice how soaking wet you already are underneath your thong and stockings. The kiss from earlier was enough to make your sensitive spot throb. 

"Give me a show Y/L/N. Let me see what your facial expressions are capable of. I'll tell you the pose and you just have to do them, alright?" Kuroo grabs a handful of your inner thigh, squeezing the area with his jaw locked in place. He tries his best not to groan out. 

You feel Kuroo pull his hand away from under your mini pencil skirt. He motions for you to stand up in your seat and you quietly do so. The first few poses are normal until Kuroo amps it up. "Raise the end of your sweater up with one hand Y/L/N. With the other I'd like you to bite on it gently while you give me a seductive look." 

You start to grow self conscious but you remind yourself to be the lustful assistant that you are. Doing as Kuroo instructed, you purposely raise your sweater up higher, revealing a small glimpse of your sheer bra. You keep your eyes focused directly on Kuroo's hazel ones. 

He breaks out of character just for a moment when he grits his teeth and groans, "Fuck." Forcing his eyes closed to recollect himself, he clears his throat. You're surprised to see Kuroo stand up from his desk. He towers over you with a stern look on his face. 

"Let's change things up a bit more Y/L/N." His deep voice makes your heart pound against your chest as you keep your focus on him. Kuroo pulls your finger out of your mouth and places it on your sweater. With both hands, he makes you pull your sweater up higher. "Bite on the end of your sweater for me Y/L/N." 

"U-Um..." You retreat back to your shyness. 

A sly smirk caresses Kuroo's face when he notices you grow coy. "You started this Y/L/N. Don't back out now. Be a good girl and listen to your boss."

Unable to retort from his seductive eyes and husky voice, you bite down on the hem of your raised sweater. Kuroo wastes no time to attack your neck with kisses. He bites down a bit and sucks harshly. "Was this your plan all along Y/L/N? To arouse me?" He gazes deeply into your eyes, his lips returning to the nape of your neck. 

Distracted by the assault on your neck, you don't realize Kuroo unzipping the side of your mini pencil skirt. The fabric easily dropping down to your ankles. Kuroo pulls away from your neck to take in the sight before him. He smirks, pleased with what he sees. 

"Do you always wear something so lewd underneath your work clothes, Y/L/N?" Kuroo trails from your sheer bra that reveals your supple nipples down to the thong underneath your stockings. A dark spot is apparent on your crotch area of your stockings. 

Pulling your mouth away from your sweater, your cheeks heat up from the way Kuroo eyes you. "Do you not like it?" Your soft whisper makes Kuroo's smirk deepen. His hand grips onto your chin, raising it up slightly. 

"Why would I not? Can I assume you wear it specifically for me?" 

You nod in response, drowning in his lustful eyes. He chuckles dryly. "Pretty bold of you to do so Y/L/N. Since when did you have plans to fuck your boss? That's unprofessional don't you think?" 

You catch his lips with your teeth, biting on his lower lip softly for a second. "Says the one who's always eyeing my every move Mr. Kuroo." You whisper seductively, alluring him with your tone and gripping tightly on his tie to keep him in place. "I'm sure we can agree that we're sexually aroused for one another." 

Kuroo wears a lopsided grin when he finds himself caught by Y/N.

You keep your face close, your lips inches apart. A gentle push will have you clashing into his lips. 

He snickers and raises both hands up by his head. "You caught me Y/L/N. With our feelings mutual, let's stop with the teasing. I have business to take care of." Kuroo lowers his eyes to your throbbing cunt. 


	34. He's ready for forever

Your finger loosens it's hold on Kuroo's tie. For a moment you get a good look at his suit that he's picked out. You didn't pay much attention to it before but that flashy red dress shirt is hard to forget. 

The corner of your lips curl into a smile when you notice the very outfit he is wearing is the one he wore at your high school reunion. You mentally thought he wore red to seem more attractive. Being the color red can cause someone to feel desire. 

You're pulled out of your train of thought when Kuroo easily sweeps you off of your feet. He sits you on top of his desk after carefully clearing the area away. Unlike dramatic scenes in porn videos or stories you've read where the person would hastily shove everything off the desk. 

Kuroo switches off from the stern boss to one who's more gentle when it comes to love making. Much like his actual self. With a small smile he kisses the nape of your neck, trailing the kiss down to your collar bone and grazing his teeth against the area. "You smell sweet Y/L/N." He hums out between harsh sucking on your collar bone. 

You clench your teeth together, clasping your hands on the edge of the desk. 

"Don't you dare hold back your moans from me." Kuroo's gentle voice switches to a stern tone. His eyes glare up at you when he focuses his lips further down your chest. One hand slips under your bra, pinching your nipple. While the other one raises the other side of the bra up for his lips to make contact with your nipple. The air making contact to the area causes your nipples to easily perk. 

You let a moan escape the moment you feel his tongue twirl and flick against your nipple. With one side being sucked on and the other being pinched, your sense of feeling is all over the place. It's no surprise when you feel your lower region throb more. 

_T_ _his is too much teasing._

"Mr. Kuroo, please don't tease me like this." You cry out between moans. A soft pop sound fills the space between you two when Kuroo pulls his lips away from your breast. 

"Is my little assistant getting impatient?" Kuroo growls out, his lips sucking on your bottom lip. Creasing your brows together, you stare at him with pleading eyes, nodding your head. "Just bare with me for a moment longer. I want to appreciate every part of you, baby girl." 

You feel an arrow shoot directly in your heart when he growls out the word 'baby girl'. It's always a pet name you've grown weak to. Your baby girl is to Kuroo's 'daddy'. But with how the roleplay is going, you wouldn't have a chance to use his kryptonite against him. 

Kuroo's lips pull away from your swollen ones. He focuses on another spot.

_Your belly._

You've always been self conscious of the area. It wasn't absolutely flat and the days you're bloated, you can easily see the pudge. Kuroo kisses the area ever so softly as if you're made of fragile glass. You squirm from how soft his kisses are. It causes a ticklish reaction.

Kuroo's lips tug into a smile when he notices how adorably Y/N respond. He decides to no longer tease her. This is torturing him as well. 

"Sorry." Kuroo apologizes abruptly and you don't have time to respond when you hear fabric rip. Kuroo's managed to tear a hole in your stockings where your thong is. He lowers his face down to your throbbing cunt. The thong is soaked and you're unable to hide how horny you are for him. 

Kuroo rests both hands on your inner thighs, spreading them wider. With his teeth, he pulls the thong to one side. That sight alone pulls out a moan from you. 

_Fuck. How can he be so sexy?_

A satisfying hum rumbles from Kuroo's throat when he notices the sticky wet substance glistening your entrance. His eyelids slowly close and he laps the area with his tongue. 

Your eyes widen from the sensation. You can reach your climax right now with how touch deprived you are. Gritting your teeth together, your hands fly towards his hair. Grabbing a handful, you grip his black locks. 

"M-Mr. Kuroo." You whimper out his name. 

Kuroo rubs Y/N's inner thigh slowly and affectionately. He feels her muscles relax from his touch. Mind going blank, his only concern is to please her right now. The lewd sounds from his tongue against her cunt makes it difficult for him to not cum right in his pants. Her taste alone drives him insane.

_God, did he miss her taste and the sweet sounds she would make._

"Tetsurō, I can't hold on much longer. Please, I need you." Y/N breaks character but Kuroo continues with the roleplay. He pulls away and stands himself up. His hand gently slaps the side of her ass. 

"Since when did I allow you to call me by my first name Y/L/N?" His eyes look directly into her lustful ones. He watches her furrow her brows together, her hand reaching forward to grab his tie. She tugs his tie forward. Kuroo smirks when he notices Y/N getting slightly annoyed and needy. 

"You're not doing a good job fulfilling your job, sir."

"Oh?" Kuroo raises an eyebrow. "I guess I'll have to work overtime to get it done then, won't I?" He unclasps his belt from his dress pants. Y/N lowers her eyes down and her breath hitches when she watches Kuroo take his hardon out after slipping it through his boxers and the hole of his dress pants. 

Your tongue glides against your lips when you see Kuroo's long shaft. It's throbbing and covered with precum on the tip. Reaching in his back pocket, Kuroo pulls out a condom. He prepares to rip it open but you reach out for it, tossing it aside. 

Kuroo widens his eyes in surprise for a moment. 

"We don't need that, sir." 

Confused, Kuroo knits his brows together. "And why so?" 

"Because this isn't going to be a one time fling, Mr. Kuroo. I'm tying you down with me." 

Kuroo tries to process Y/N's words. There's probably a deeper meaning behind her words. He can only assume that she's stating their relationship is forever. Being said forever, which is a large commitment, is Y/N implying for the two to possibly have a family together down the line?

You notice Kuroo scrunching his face with a troubled expression. You giggle at the sight, breaking out of character to explain it to him. "If I get pregnant, I wouldn't be upset Tetsurō. I'd like a family with you." 

Kuroo flushes when he hears Y/N state her words aloud. His eyes widen and he's at a loss of breath. Gulping, he manages to stammer out a response. "D-Don't say things like that just yet. I have to do things properly first. Like marrying you to start off." 

Y/N giggles and nods her head. "Fine. Go grab the condom then." 

Kuroo stands still, pursing his lips. He eyes the condom that's on the floor across the room. But his hunger for her is much larger. The corner of Y/N's lips tug into a smile when she notices Kuroo giving into her. 

He reverts back to his character, leaning over her ear and biting gently on her earlobe. "You're one adventurous girl Y/L/N." 

With the smell of his cologne intoxicating you, the mood returns back to the lustful atmosphere. "Let me feel you inside of me already, sir." You whine out in his ear purposely. You turn your head slightly to capture his ear, gliding your tongue against the area. 

A pleasant groan escapes from Kuroo's lips when he feels your lips kiss his ear. You tempt him with your moans and constant begging. "Fuck my tight pussy Mr. Kuroo." 

Kuroo grows red from Y/N's directness. He obediently does so. His long length easily slips inside her cunt from how lubed up she is from her natural juices. Kuroo is unable to hold back a loud groan when he feels her walls tighten around his cock. 

He starts to thrust inside of her while she showers him with several kisses to his jawline. "Mmm...your moans are just as addictive as your kisses." Y/N whispers between kisses and moans. Kuroo's afraid to reach his climax early from her attention. He clenches his teeth tight, forcing his eyes shut. 

Y/N loosens his tie, tossing it behind him and just like he did earlier, she rips his shirt open. The buttons clatter onto the floor beneath them. She bites her bottom lip and hums at the sight of his abs. Her fingers graze against his chest and her lips suck on his neck. 

"Fuck...Y/N" Kuroo slips up when he calls her by her name. She bites his neck as punishment. 

"Call me baby girl." Y/N speaks in a sultry tone. She moves from his neck to his lips, sucking his lips until they turn swollen. Her breasts bounce with each deep thrust Kuroo makes. 

"If only you call me daddy." Kuroo speaks between grunts and groans. A seductive smirk plasters on Y/N's face when the two make eye contact. The two abandon the boss and assistant role. With rough kisses against each other's lips, the two moan in pleasure. Kuroo quickens his speed, nearing his high. 

From how tightly Y/N is squeezing against his cock, he knows she must be at her peak soon too. He's upset he can't ride this out longer, but this wouldn't be the last time the two share an intimate moment like this.

Y/N wraps her arms around Kuroo's neck, she squeezes her eyes shut, tears forming in the corner of her eyes from how well the pleasure is for her. "Daddy..." Her panted cry attacks Kuroo. 

"Yes, baby girl?" Kuroo says between pants, kissing her cheek. His thrusts not seeming to slow down. He uses the last of his stamina to pound her small cunt. 

"Daddy...fuck. I'm about to--" Y/N's words gets cut off when Kuroo seals her lips with his. She screams out in pleasure through their sealed lips. Her hips buckle and the tears that formed on the corner of her eyes, trickle down her cheeks. 

Kuroo also reaches his high. He releases his load in her the moment he felt her hips buckle underneath him. Hearing her moans subside, Kuroo pulls his length out of her. He then parts his lips away to gaze at her face.

Y/N's cheeks burn a shade red and sweat beads her forehead. He smiles at how beautiful she looks despite how exhausted she feels. Extending his hand, he wipes her tears that stain her face. "You did a good job, princess." 

Y/N grows shy, dodging his eyes. She notices a few droplets of his cum on the tip of his cock. Carefully getting off the desk, she gets on her knees and cleans the spot up. Kuroo bites his tongue, wanting to moan at the sight. 

"Are you asking for a round two, Y/N?" 

She eyes him, twirling her tongue around the rim of his shaft. 

"You're playing with the devil if you are Y/N." Kuroo smirks devilishly. She giggles and gently flicks her tongue on his tip. 

Not having it anymore, Kuroo grunts out. "That's it. You're asking for it now." He leans down and lifts Y/N up, tossing her on the bed and pouncing her like a hungry beast after their prey. 

The two don't waste any time with foreplay as they make love for the second time today. Between moans and pants are several I love you's. 

There's no resistance in Kuroo's mind about commitment. 

**He's ready for forever.**

Like a semicolon, his love for Y/N will continue despite there being a brief pause along the way.

"I love you Y/N." Kuroo whispers between hungry kisses. "Forever and always." 

\- - - -

& this concludes 𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒏!

HOLY FUCK. THIS STORY WAS A WHIRLWIND.

But in the end Kuroo got his girl despite fighting off two contenders along the way. 🥺

This story was definitely the most taxing one for me since there were so many POV's. I enjoyed the challenge and I feel like it definitely brought out the best in this story. 

There were many times where I wanted to say fuck it and make it another Kenma story. However, I couldn't do that to Kuroo since he never got his own happy ending from "I'm not a game." 😭

I want to thank **YOU** as always for reading my story, commenting, and even voting.

Until next time. 

I'll see you in another story.

🤍

\- cutesight


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